Time
by reddwarfaddict
Summary: After twelve years in Volag-noc the Doctor is terminally ill, giving him and Rose three months to find a shared lost memory in order for him to regenerate into the same body. But as the clock ticks, finding the memory isn't going to be easy, and with Jack and the Doctor's son abducted in the night the only thing the time travellers don't have is enough time. 10Rose, 10Whump / H/C
1. Prologue: 3rd July 2013, 14:22:25

**A/N: **This is post-Journey's End A/U TenRose babyfic, sixth in the series. So! here we go. The previous parts to this in order are Destiny, Paroxysmic, The Debt, Mother's Nature and Echoes. Which is a lot to read, so I'll try my darnedest to help you if you're new to this series. Here's a summary of what happened in Echoes:

**Previously**

_The Doctor turns up on the Master's doorstep with absolutely no memory of who he is or what happened to him, but all the clues point towards a corrupted Shadow Proclamation who are slowly being assassinated by an "Echo". The Master and Jack team up to take the Doctor back there to help recover his memory, but in the process discover the Doctor and his family have been cloned in the Echo generation and the real Doctor has been in solitary confinement in Volag-noc for twelve years._

_When Jack and the Master find him, he has recently been saved by his brother, Braxiatel, who has been shielded inside Volag-noc since before the Time War. The motley group have a final confrontation with the last remaining Architect, before the Proclamation is taken over by the remaining Echoes of the Doctor (named Zak) and his daughter, Leah (named Leya) to change it for the better – but not before Zak confesses in the prolonged time they've been together he has fallen in love with Jack and shares with him his first kiss._

_The Doctor, the Master, Braxiatel and Jack return to Earth to meet Rose and kids, who have been hiding in the vortex for three days. But the physical effects of Volag-noc are terminal for the Doctor – he has three months left before his body shuts down. Braxiatel offers an alternative – a "template" regeneration which will allow the Doctor to regenerate but keep his current looks and personality. The first attempt is unsuccessful, due to a blocked memory in the Doctor and Rose. They realise they must find their blocked memory before the Doctor's tenth body dies._

_But the effects of long-term solitary confinement in Volag-noc are more than physical for the Doctor. He's losing his grip on his sanity, and only the Master has seen it. But the Master has been apprehended by a strange man – an apparently human man who calls the Master by his academy name, a man who is hell bent on killing the Doctor for good._

Any questions, come at me!

Updates will probably be a little slow but I'll try and keep them steady :D I also haven't fully decided on a title. May change!

Welcome to first person Time Agent Captain Jack Harkness. It was much more difficult that it possibly looks :o

* * *

Prologue - 3rd July 2013, 14:22:25

My name's Captain Jack Harkness. Well, that's all you need to know anyway. I was born in the Boeshane Peninisula in the 51st century - the first one to sign up to the Time Agency. Face of Boe, they called me. Poster boy for the company, I'm sure.

I've trained for years - everything from torture and manipulation to what the big red button on the vortex manipulator does. I've given up everything for this job. My youth, my friends...

My family.

I was finally given the title of Time Agent in the year 5043. I'll never forget that day. Me and Hart partied for about a week. Then he got his title and we partied for another week. Nearly lost my title cos I hadn't done any work, but pretty soon I had my first mission. Tiny job, a quick assassination of some 20th century guy on Earth.

Then I got lucky. Moved up through the ranks. Private, Sergeant, Lieutenant and all those little ones in-between before I finally hit Captain, just a week ago. A lot of 'em say I don't deserve Captain.

When I took this mission I knew this wasn't the usual. This is my assessment.

It seems simple enough. I bounced to Earth, to the year 2013, 3rd July at 14:22:25. I land in a dismal-looking office block, and there's the sound of commotion above. I scan the area for the target with my manipulator - it's upstairs, where the sounds of shouting are coming from. Just as I head up the stairs the shouting stops, and for a moment I freeze, just listening. I can't hear anything.

I continue up the steps, pulling out my gun from its holster. It's packed and charged, ready to blast the target, so I waste no more time in getting to the door, raising a foot and kicking it, hard. The door swings open to reveal a crowd of people standing there, who all looked sharply up on my entrance. But I'm not noticing them.

There's my target, sitting on the floor. Just a kid. One-and-a-half years old, brown hair, blue eyes, and gazing at me with blank eyes.

The profile matches, no doubt about it.

Alex Tyler.

"Jack!?" a woman cries from the right, and I look up sharply to see a hot blonde standing there, utterly horrified. I don't recognise her. I'm sure I'd remember a pretty face like that.

"Sorry honey, maybe later, I got business," I reply, aiming the gun straight at the boy and immediately pulling the trigger.

Suddenly there's a yell, and a man dives from the right. It seems to happen in slow motion as I take in every single detail of him - he's got brown hair, brown eyes, wearing a brown pinstriped suit and a tan-coloured trenchcoat. Very good looking, I even have time to note before my fire hits him and he blasts back about seven metres across the room and hits the wall on the other side. He falls to the floor like a butterfly with a broken wing, and lays perfectly still as the blood begins to pool around him.

Someone swears, and I know that voice. I know it very, very well.

I look up, and see myself, at least, an older version of myself (plenty of work done) standing there staring at me in abject mortification.

The Time Agency isn't going to like this.


	2. 18th May 2013, 10:30:22

**A/N:** Continuum! I don't have much to add here. I'm so interesting.

* * *

Chapter 1 - 18th May 2013, 10:30:22

"... So at seven o'clock, Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked straight past the doorway to the packed Great Hall, which was glittering invitingly with gold plates and candles, and directed their steps instead toward the dungeons.

"The passageway leading to Nearly Headless Nick's party had been lined with candles, too, though the effect was far from cheerful: These were long, thin, jet-black tapers, all burning bright blue, casting a dim, ghostly light even over their own living faces. The temperature dropped with every step they took. As Harry shivered and drew his robes tightly around him, he heard what sounded like a thousand fingernails scraping an enormous blackboard..."

"Jack," the Doctor interrupted, poking his head inside his daughter's bedroom door where Jack was reading to the girl from the tried and tested Harry Potter book. "Finish up, Leah needs to go to sleep."

"I'm not tired," the four-year-old insisted, despite the fact her tone of voice alone was laden with lethargy.

"Maybe not, but you're ill, so go to sleep," the Doctor ordered. "And eat any and all chicken soup brought to you. Chicken soup has mystical healing powers. We are still yet to unearth its true power."

"But I'm fine."

"You aren't."

"But-"

"Sorry, Dad wins," Jack interrupted with a grin, and snapped the book shut. "To be continued! Go to sleep."

"Aww," Leah said disappointedly as Jack leant forward to kiss her forehead and tuck her in.

"Later," Jack assured her, standing up. "Good night. Shout if you need anything."

"Night," Leah murmured, turning over to hug her teddy tighter. As he left the Doctor closed the door behind him and immediately strode off to the kitchen with nothing but a small beckoning motion with his fingers. Jack supposed he was meant to follow.

When they got to the kitchen Rose was there finishing up a mug of tea along with the Doctor's brother Braxiatel, sitting at the table. The Doctor went straight to his wife, perching himself on the tabletop next to her.

"You off, then?" Jack asked, looking between the Doctor and Rose.

The Doctor nodded. "We'll be back tonight."

"And you still won't tell me where you're going?"

"Nope," the Doctor confirmed, smiling winsomely. Jack sighed.

"Mum'll be here in a minute," Rose said, finishing her tea and setting it on the side.

The Doctor nodded. "Got our numbers?"

"Yep."

"I don't understand why you don't just let me look after the tots," Brax insisted.

The Doctor snorted with laughter. "Thanks Brax, but I couldn't trust you to look after my plant, never mind my children."

"I did everything on your guide, letter for letter," Brax insisted lamely.

"Except the letters that combined into the arrangement of the words 'water' and 'it'?" the Doctor wondered vaguely.

Brax sighed. "In my defence, your handwriting is appalling."

The Doctor rolled his eyes just as Jackie came in the door, Tony at her side.

"I'm 'ere, what's the crisis?" she asked.

"We need you to look after Leah, Mum. She's got chickenpox. We should be back by tonight," Rose told her, gazing at Tony with a frown.

"Where're you goin'?"

"Manchester," Rose replied without really thinking about it, before realising what she'd done and looking at the Doctor with a wince and apologetic expression. She quickly changed the subject. "Has he had chickenpox yet?" she asked, pointing at Tony.

Jackie shook her head. "Now we're 'ere, hoping he'll get it. Why d'you 'ave to go to Manchester anyway?"

"Why do you want to make your son ill?" the Doctor countered, partly as a means of changing subject but mostly out of curiosity.

"It's chickenpox, ain't it?" Jackie dismissed, as if that explained everything. "Why are you goin' to Manchester?"

"What about chickenpox?" the Doctor persisted.

"It's better to get it when you're a kid, else it's really bad later," Rose explained to him.

"Oh," the Doctor muttered, scratching his head.

"I thought you were a doctor?" Jackie said with a roll of her eyes, but spoke again before the Doctor could interject. "Why are you avoidin' the question? Why are you goin' to Manchester?"

"We just need to see a friend, Mum," Rose insisted, but already knew her mum well enough to know she wouldn't back down.

"Can't it wait?" Jackie wondered seriously.

"Not really."

"You're 'appy to wander off to Manchester while your daughter's sick?" Jackie surmised, glaring at the Doctor.

"It's urgent," the Doctor insisted, starting to get a little wound up. "Leah's fine. It's just chickenpox."

"You can't know that! Kitty's boy, Jason, ended up in 'ospital when 'e got chickenpox!"

"Mum, please," Rose cut in as she rested a hand on the Doctor's arm to try and keep him calm, but Jackie wasn't paying her any attention.

"You're supposed to be lookin' after 'em!" Jackie snapped at the Doctor.

"Jackie, I'm..."

"And if Leah got really bad we wouldn't even know what to do with her whole alien thing!"

"I'm here," Brax put in somewhat quietly, but he was completely ignored.

"Mum!" Rose squeaked, throwing her arms around the Doctor to try and calm him but he was beginning to shake...

"You promised me, Doctor, you promised you'd look after them!"

"I am!"

"Well you'd better start workin' harder!"

"I..." the Doctor began, but suddenly stopped, his breath catching in his throat.

Rose saw it coming. "No, no, no!" she cried as the Doctor collapsed. Brax immediately dived forward to catch him, but the sheer weight forced him to his knees.

"Doctor!?" Jack shouted in alarm, helping to support his utter stiff body. Jackie just watched, wide-eyed as he began to shake, his eyes wide and staring transfixed at the ceiling with quiet, strained moans slipping out.

"What the hell?!" Jackie yelped, leaping back with her hand over her mouth in shock and terror. "I bloody killed him!"

"Mum, calm down, just help us," Rose said quickly, positioning herself to carry the Doctor.

"Rose, what the hell is going on?" Jack said seriously, clearly shocked.

"Just help us," Rose insisted, indicating the Doctor's body with her head. "I'll explain everythin', I swear, just help us."

After a moment's pause, Jack just nodded and moved into position. The Doctor was still shaking badly and it took all four of them to gain a secure hold on him, lifting him up until together Jack, Jackie, Rose and Brax carried the Doctor to the nearest bedroom, and lowered his utterly stiff body gently down on the bed. Rose quickly loosened his tie and shirt, before running into the adjoining bathroom. Jackie just watched, horrified and confused before Rose came back in with a wet flannel and commenced mopping his already sweaty face and chest.

"Rose, what's wrong with 'im?" Jackie squeaked, not really knowing what to do as the Doctor continued to sweat and shake. "Is 'e havin' a fit!?"

"No, he's in pain," Rose said quickly, pressing a kiss to his forehead.

"Pain!? How? Why?"

Rose ignored her mother for the moment, directing her attentions to the Doctor. "It'll be okay I promise, just relax," she said so soothingly she almost hummed it.

"Hurts," the Doctor rasped.

"I know, it'll be over soon."

"Rose, you've gotta tell us what's going on or we can't help," Jack said seriously, resting a hand on the Doctor's arm.

"No," the Doctor suddenly gasped.

Rose immediately cupped his face gently. "Doctor, they need to hear this. We can't keep hidin'. Just Jack and mum, okay? They need to know."

The Doctor didn't answer for a moment, his trembles seemingly increasing. "Okay," he finally gasped out.

"Brax," Rose prompted.

Brax nodded, standing up to address the frantic humans. "There's something wrong with Thete. Very wrong. As I'm sure you're all aware during his time in Volag-noc he was gassed with a deadly compound called alere flamman. When we got home, I fully scanned him to find it wasn't out of his system, and never will be. It's permanently attached to his blood, bonded until he regenerates. This also means... I'm sorry, but the alere flamman won't just sit there. It will multiply again. Thete is very, very ill. I believe he has three months to live."

"What!?" Jackie shrieked as Jack swore loudly, the both of them gazing at the Doctor...

"For now the symptoms are treatable with medication," Brax continued after he'd acknowledged the replies. "But any raise in blood pressure causes him extreme pain that can't be rectified with painkillers."

"We can't stress him out, or he ends up like this," Rose clarified, gesturing at the man on the bed.

"So he's dying," Jack surmised quietly.

"… Yeah," Rose answered flatly.

"So why doesn't he regenerate?" Jack asked.

"We have a way he can regenerate into the same body and mind," Rose explained slowly. "But..."

She suddenly trailed off, unable to find the words.

"But what?" Jackie prompted.

"Thete and Rose have lost a memory," Brax continued, glancing at Rose. "One of their memories are blocked and without that he can't finish the template regeneration."

"Unit?" Jack suddenly asked, frowning.

Rose nodded silently. "We need to find out what happened to us in Manchester that made us wipe our memories there, Jack."

Jack nodded.

Jackie blinked. "You said you..." she began quietly.

"I'm sorry, Mum, we wanted to sort this out quietly. But we can't. Just don't tell anyone else. If they knew he was dyin'..."

She didn't finish the sentence.

"Does Leah know?" Jack asked.

"No," Rose said, shaking her head.

"You should tell her. She might know what happened to you, or at least give you some ideas," Jack insisted. "She was around, wasn't she? Nobody wiped her memory."

"I know, we just... I can't tell her Daddy's dying," Rose muttered quietly.

Silence followed.

"Do you want me to get her?" Brax wondered.

Rose glanced at the Doctor, who was still unable to talk. He was quite clearly trying, his breath repeatedly catching in his throat.

Silently, Rose nodded.

* * *

By the time Brax got back with Leah, the Doctor was sitting up with a little help from Jack and Rose. Brax sat the little girl on the bed next to her father, who wrapped his arms around her and kissed her head.

"Leah, d'you remember being in the Unit hospital?" Jack began. "You had Zolynawian Reverse Influenza."

"Yeah," Leah replied, gazing up at her father.

"D'you remember the monsters?"

"Yeah."

"Can you tell us what happened after we got back to the hospital?"

"Daddy was ill cos of his arm and Mummy stayed with him a lot in hozziepol," Leah began. "You took me back to the TARDIS, Uncle Jack, until Mummy came back and her eyes were all wet and she was really sad all the time. When Daddy came back he played with me a lot, and Mummy wasn't around a lot. But he kept falling asleep."

"Falling asleep?" Brax echoed. "What do you mean?"

"He would play with me then stop and fall asleep for a bit until he woke up and we'd play again."

"Why was he falling asleep?" Brax asked.

"I dunno," she replied, shrugging as she took her father's hand in both of hers, playing with his fingers.

"Did any of us say anything about that or Mummy or Daddy, Leah?" Jack asked next.

"I dunno. But you were getting mad at Daddy, Uncle Jack."

"What did I say?"

"I can't remember," she admitted. "But then when you were putting me to bed they were shouting a lot at each other. You ran out. Then Daddy woke me up later and said I had to go to Torchwood cos there was something you had to do."

"Okay. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Can I go to bed?" she asked tiredly.

"Thought you said you weren't tired," the Doctor whispered to her, kissing her again.

She ignored his words, gazing up at him. "Don't be sad."

"I'm not sad."

"Yeah, you are."

"What makes you think I'm sad?"

She didn't even blink, staring up at him with those big brown eyes. "Cos you're hugging me really tight."

He smiled briefly at that. "I'm just a bit sick, but I'll get better."

"Promise?"

"Yeah."

"And will you stop being sick?"

He smiled again. "I'll try very, very hard."

"Okay," she replied, seemingly satisfied.

"Me and Dad are goin' out for the day," Rose began, kneeling down to her. "But Granny, Uncle Jack, Uncle Brax and everyone else are gonna be here for you all the time. If you need more itching cream just let them know."

"Okay. Where're you going?"

Jack met Rose's gaze, who looked at the Doctor, who shook his head almost imperceptibly.

Manchester," Rose told her. "We're gonna go and see someone who might be able to fix daddy."

"Okay," she said, accepting it immediately. "Night night."

"Night night," the Doctor replied, kissing her forehead. "Love you."

"Love you too," she said, reaching up to her mother for a good bye kiss.

"Night night," Rose said as Brax picked her up and carried her back out of the door, Jackie immediately following with Tony in tow.

Jack turned to the Doctor. "All right?"

"Yeah," the Doctor muttered, using a combination of Rose, Jack and the bed to get up. "It's just temporary," he continued, blinking a few times. "Be fine in a minute."

For a moment there was silence as Jack continued to gaze at him, not letting go.

"... Why didn't you tell me?" he asked quietly, traces of genuine hurt plain in his tone.

"We didn't wanna burden you," Rose answered honestly, glancing at the Doctor.

"You're not a burden, you're my best friends," Jack replied honestly.

The Doctor finally pulled away from them both to stand confidently under his own power, wiping at his eyes. "You've done so much for us, Jack. Stand down. This is for me and Rose to sort out."

"But I need to do something," Jack insisted. "Gimme something I can do for you. Let me help."

"Look after the kids," Rose said seriously.

Jack sighed. "You're really not gonna let me help, are you?"

"That _is_ helping," the Doctor countered, grinning.

Jack sighed again. "All right. But if you need me for anything, anything at all, you just call me, okay?"

Rose nodded. "Thank you, Jack."

"And you'd better come back with a cure," he added after a moment's thought.

The Doctor smiled a little at that. "We'll try. And Brax knows, but keep Alex and Kiana separate from Leah, she's too infectious. And, remember..."

"I know," Jack began as though he'd repeated his following phrase a thousand times before. "Any scratch, bruise or hint of sadness on any of their adorable little faces then I'm a flat, lemon meringue pancake."

"Good, just checking," the Doctor insisted.

"Sweetheart!" Jackie was back with Tony, looking at the Doctor in alarm.

"You ain't gone yet? You've gotta find that cure!"

"We're goin'!" Rose insisted.

Jackie immediately dived for her to give her a kiss, and then to the Doctor for the same, which made him squirm and protest as usual. She then embraced him in a hug – tight and full of love.

"Please don't die," she whispered in his ear, so quietly the others couldn't have heard.

"I'll be fine," was all he replied as a whisper directly back to her.

She pulled back, gazing up at him for a moment before finally letting go and clapping her hands together. "Right, bye then!"

Rose giggled. "Bye, Mum," she replied, taking her husband's hand and leading him out of the door where Brax was approaching.

"Good luck," he said sincerely, sticking out a hand for his brother to shake. "And don't do anything to that blood pressure. Stay calm."

"Oh, you know me," the Doctor responded flippantly with a wave of a dismissing hand.

Brax's eyebrows lowered. "Yes, I do. That's why I said it."

Rose giggled, reaching up to Brax for a hug. "See you later."

"What are you implying?" the Doctor asked seriously as they parted.

Brax just smiled. "Nothing," he said, reaching up to tousle his little brother's hair. "Good luck, Thete."

The Doctor patted down his hair indignantly, before running both hands through it to completely mess it up again. He then took his wife's hand again, gave a final wave to Brax and lead her through the sterilisation field and out into Torchwood.

Immediately the Doctor's leg was commandeered by Alex, the little one-year-old clinging on tightly. The Doctor dropped down to hug him as Ianto approached.

"Where's Kiana?" Rose asked, looking around.

Ianto frowned. "You can't hear them?"

Rose stopped, listening for a moment until she realised the Hub was filled with the sound of two babies laughing, rattles being shaken and toys making repetitive beeping noises.

"Oh," she realised. "I dunno, I think you sorta tune it out after a while."

Ianto smiled. "She's playing with Anwen, ma'am."

"Gwen's here?"

"Yeah, in the sitting area with Martha."

Rose left, leaving the Doctor to scoop up his son and follow her with Ianto. Sure enough he happened across Gwen and Martha, sitting on the sofa with Anwen and Kiana sitting on the rug eating rattles and talking nonsense.

Martha saw him and smiled. "You going, then?"

He nodded. "Back tonight."

"Good, we need to sort out my birth plan tonight."

"Oh?"

"Where I'm gonna deliver, silly," Martha laughed, indicating her now very heavy pregnancy. "I'd rather you delivered."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "Wait, when did we discuss this?"

"Tonight," Martha replied.

"Oh," he said for the second time.

"Something wrong?" she asked, unnerved by his disposition.

"Oh, no," the Doctor said quickly, glancing at Rose who stayed silent. They both knew that if they didn't find their memory, by July the Doctor would have deteriorated so badly that he wouldn't be able to stand up, let alone deliver a baby. "I'd love to."

She laughed again. "Don't tell me you can't deliver a baby."

"Oh, yes, of course," the Doctor said. "It's just…" He gestured to the two babies on the floor. "Does this place seem less like a secret alien-hunting base and more like a crèche to you?"

The women giggled as Ianto stepped up beside him.

"I like it," he admitted, producing an envelope from his pocket and handing it to the Doctor. "Train tickets and £500 in twenties for you, sir."

"What's the money for?" the Doctor asked, staring at the envelope.

"Coffee, sir," Ianto responded, a small smirk on his face.

"One day you'll forget to call me sir," the Doctor said seriously.

"Never, sir."

The Doctor rolled his eyes, slipping the envelope into his inside pocket as Rose got up.

"Thanks, Yan," Rose said, dropping to kiss Kiana and Alex in turn.

"I could drive you to the station, ma'am, sir?"

"Don't worry, it's a nice day, we'll walk," Rose assured him as the Doctor said good bye to Alex and Kiana. Alex just gazed up at him, those big blue eyes seemingly cutting into his soul.

"We're back tonight, okay?" he told the boy, who nodded and hugged him tighter. Several moments passed before the Doctor managed to peel the boy off of him and sit him on the sofa.

"Bye, Alex," the Doctor whispered to him.

Everyone waited, just staring at the boy, willing him to speak.

He didn't, and just waved instead.

The Doctor withheld a sigh and just waved back with a smile, giving the boy one last kiss before he cemented his hand back in Rose's.

"Have fun," Gwen said, and they both smiled and nodded.

"See you later," Rose responded before they both headed out of Torchwood.

* * *

**A/N:** What's this? Next time? What? WHAT? WHAT!? Wonder how long I'll keep this up...

_Next time..._

_He was ill. Terminally ill. He'd only been diagnosed two days ago, and even now she almost believed it wasn't true. The scans were corrupted. Brax had read them wrong. A million reasons why everyone else was wrong and the Doctor was in fact perfectly fine._

_But he wasn't. She knew that. It was happening right in front of her ears and her eyes. He was paling a little more with every day, getting a little bit more tired as they began to approach his scheduled death day. It was such a little decline at the moment that no one else had noticed, but she could see it._

_And it was her fault._

_Her selfish fault._


	3. 18th May 2013, 15:47:13

**A/N: **I would like to point out that clearly my luck is insane, because on the 18th May 2013 BBC One _did_ show the Eurovision song contest at the exact time the Doctor and Rose watch the TV. If they had been there a little earlier, they would have caught the finale of Doctor Who series 7. So that's lucky, because that would have created a mind-numbing paradox that no amount of prose would have been able to solve :o

* * *

Chapter 2 - 18th May 2013, 15:47:13

The Doctor and Rose strolled in the Manchester UNIT hospital and saw Pam sitting at reception, as always. The Doctor lead the way, strolling up, leaning on the desk, and putting his most charismatic smile in place.

"Afternoon," he greeted.

"Just one moment, please," Pam said, tapping away on her keyboard for a few seconds before spreading a smile and turning to them…

The smile promptly tightened.

"Doctor," she realised.

"Hello, Pam, isn't it? We met before, couple of years ago when we brought our daughter in."

She continued to gaze at him, that smile persisting even though her eyes appeared to be slightly crazed. The Doctor noticed she had her hand under the desk facing upwards, and her wrist was moving in an erratic up and down motion as though pressing something under the desk. "Yes… How is the little… tyke?"

"Great, thank you," the Doctor replied, still staring at her wrist. "She's four, now."

Her eyes followed his gaze down to her wrist, but immediately looked back up again. She quite clearly knew that he knew what she was doing. She didn't stop.

"Oh, they're adorable at that age," Pam replied. "And nice to see your partner again… Rose, isn't it?"

"Yep," Rose confirmed, also staring at her hand.

Then they were gripped in silence.

"Sorry," the Doctor began, almost laughing. "Security a little slow today?"

The door suddenly burst open and five UNIT soldiers filtered in, guns pointed straight at them.

* * *

"Are you gettin' the feeling we didn't exactly leave here on good terms before?" Rose asked the Doctor seriously as they sat side by side in a secure waiting room, three UNIT soliders on the perimeter and four with their guns pointing at their various essential body parts.

"I know that letter we left ourselves after we wiped our memory said they wouldn't be happy to see us again but I didn't quite imagine this," the Doctor admitted, glaring at one of the soldiers pointing a gun at him. The soldier didn't flinch.

"Wonder what we did," Rose said, frowning. She thought about that for a while, until suddenly her eyes shot open. "Oh my god, don't think I killed someone do you?"

He looked at her, lowering his eyebrows. "What makes you say that?"

"Oh, come on, it's obvious," Rose began. "You said it yourself, whatever it was, it was really bad, yeah? So bad we couldn't live with it. What's that bad? Murder! Me, murderin' someone. You were ashamed and I was really depressed and Jack was just… there. So we all wiped our memories."

For a while he stared at her with utter seriousness… until he snorted with laughter.

"Is that so mad?" she asked seriously.

He stopped laughing, falling deadpan again as he shrugged his shoulders. "Why was I fainting like Leah said, then?"

She opened her mouth, about to pour out a million reasons why until she frowned and looked at him. "Okay, fair point. So what do we know so far?"

"Well…" the Doctor began, clearing his throat. "Leah had been taken by a child-killing species of some kind, Jack had gone after her and had been captured. Meanwhile I'd been arrested for stealing all those diseases from that other UNIT base, you rescued me, we followed the trail Leah had left and found a teleport. Then after that it's gone, until we woke up in the infirmary, me with a broken arm half torn off and no feeling in my little finger and a note pinned to the door written by me, saying we'd wiped our memories as something so bad had happened we couldn't live with it. When we got back to Torchwood, Martha seemed to think you'd been ill. And according to Leah, we were distancing ourselves from each other and I was fainting every two minutes. Eventually we had some sort of argument and delivered her to Torchwood."

"God, this makes no sense," Rose muttered.

"I know, but we-"

"Doctor!" a man greeted from the doorway, and they both looked up to find Colonel Mace standing there not looking very happy.

"Colonel!" the Doctor exclaimed, jumping to his feet and sticking out his hand with a beaming smile in place.

Mace didn't take it. "What are you doing here, Doctor?" he asked defensively.

"Yes, sorry to intrude, but we're looking for a memory… well, specifically, our memory," the Doctor said, still holding out his hand to be shaken. "Our memories of being in this hospital two years ago for the last few days have been wiped, and we'd quite like to find any sort of clues that might help reawaken them."

"You won't find anything here," Mace replied immediately.

"That was quick," the Doctor noted, still holding out his hand. "Have you got any files on us? Specifically Rose?"

"No, you were ghost cases. Nothing was recorded," Mace replied abruptly.

"Is there anyone we can talk to?" Rose asked, standing up next to her husband, who had finally dropped his hand. "Was there a doctor that treated me?"

"No records were kept," Mace repeated.

"I'm sorry Colonel," the Doctor said seriously, still persisting with his smile. "Clearly you're still very annoyed at us, but we're sort of desperate."

"I can't help you."

"Please, Colonel," Rose butted in, stepping forward and pushing her husband back. "This is really, really important."

"I told you, I can't help," Mace said again, and made to turn to leave.

"Please wait," Rose said, and she said it with such desperation and pleading that Mace stopped, turning back. Rose quickly continued, dropping her voice to a quiet murmur. "We really, really need help. The Doctor is… Well, he's… he's dying. We need this memory to make everything okay. I need him. He's my life, he's the dad to my kids… I know he stole all those diseases and destroyed them but that's just him. He's an idiot. An idiot I love to death. Please, if there's anythin' you can do… I would owe you so much. The world would owe you too. Please."

Mace's eyes flickered to the Doctor, who was staring at the floor with his hands in his pockets. Mace then looked back at Rose, and sighed reluctantly.

"As I said, there are no records," he repeated, and Rose's hopeful expression fell. "And finding the doctor that treated any ailment that you had would be impossible - we have over ten thousand medical staff that rotate between international sites. However… If any notes were made and not destroyed, they would have been automatically delivered to the London HQ to be archived. I would suggest you continue your search there."

"Thank you," Rose said sincerely.

"You're welcome," Mace gruffed, and left.

"London, then," Rose said, slipping her hand in the Doctor's.

He gazed at her, before impulsively leaning forward to kiss her.

"London," he confirmed, pulling out the wad of cash from his pocket. "Thanks Ianto."

Rose giggled, and with four UNIT soldiers tailing them they left back to the train station.

* * *

It was 8:00pm before they got to the London HQ, only to find it was locked up and shut down at the gates.

"Closed!" Rose realised, checking the time on her phone. "I didn't know military bases had closing times."

"I doubt they do, but it'll be night personnel. We'll just come back tomorrow," the Doctor said. "Let's find somewhere to sleep."

"I'll just call Jack," Rose said, scrolling through her contacts until she found him and rang. He picked up within two rings. "Hi, Jack… Yeah we're fine, um, look, we've had to go to London HQ but it's all shut down, are you lot okay with the kids for the night if we stay here overnight? … Okay, thank you. How are they? … Oh my god, what!?"

The Doctor's eyes shot open. "What? What's wrong?"

"Brax has chickenpox!" Rose told him, grinning.

The Doctor snorted with laughter.

"Apparently he looks like a malamorph," Rose told him, and he laughed even harder before she turned her attentions back to the phone. "Yeah, we'll find a hotel… Thanks, Jack… See you tomorrow."

She hung up, and the Doctor finally managed to get his amusement under control. "Kids are fine, Brax has chickenpox, that's about it. What's a malamorph?"

He continued to grin. "Creatures that are permanently covered in pussy spots. Ugliest known species in the universe. They hold beauty contests every year and no one ever wins."

Rose giggled but looked appalled at the same time. "Bloody hell, that's so mean."

He just beamed. "Best go find a hotel then, eh?"

* * *

The Doctor got her some fish and chips and they found a Premier Inn quite close. They booked in and went straight to their room. They'd watched TV for a little while, cringing at the Eurovision Song Contest whilst laying on the bed together. When the clock hit 10pm, Rose could see the Doctor was exhausted and insisted they went to bed.

Now he was throwing up again.

She was sitting on their bed in her underwear, curled into the foetal position, remaining perfectly still as her husband and father of her children relentlessly vomited into the en-suite toilet, the door closed.

Although she didn't know for sure that's what he was doing, the sounds painted an accurate enough picture for her to imagine. Every night since he'd got back from Volag-noc. She could almost see him, leant on the toilet utterly exhausted, his face red, him panting from the sheer exertion of what he was going through. Every tiny grunt was breaking her heart a little more with every progressive sound.

He was ill. Terminally ill. He'd only been diagnosed a few days ago, and even now she almost believed it wasn't true. The scans were corrupted. Brax had read them wrong. A million reasons why everyone else was wrong and the Doctor was in fact perfectly fine.

But he wasn't. She knew that. It was happening right in front of her ears and her eyes. He was paling a little more with every day, getting a little bit more tired as they began to approach his scheduled death day. It was such a little decline at the moment that no one else had noticed, but she could see it.

And it was her fault.

Her selfish fault.

He could regenerate right now. Regenerate, recover, and he wouldn't need to go through this every single night. And it was only going to get worse. Brax had described it well enough.

_"He'll slowly started to lose his neural and motor functions, his internal organs will start to die, his muscles will start to waste and then he'll only have enough energy to breathe. He has to regenerate then, template or not, or he never will."_

But he wouldn't regenerate now, would he? Because his face would change. They were finding this memory, this elusive memory for the sole reason that she could keep him as he was with the same face.

Her selfish, selfish fault.

Finally the toilet flushed and the Doctor emerged, spraying himself with the bathroom air freshener on the way out. His eyes were watering - the clear strain of what he'd just gone through - before he raised a genuine smile at her and hooked a finger in his tie, pulling it off in one swift movement. She just watched him as he next pulled off his shirt and trousers until he was down to his boxers. He then collapsed into bed next to her, and then frowned.

"I've forgotten something haven't I?" he said, staring at the ceiling.

"Yep," she muttered, still not having moved.

He looked at her, just thinking for a moment until he pulled a face as he realised what that something was. He then reached down to his coat pocket, rummaged around and brought out a pack of pills and a needle gun. She knew what each of them did. The injection was to replace all the nutrients he'd lost whilst throwing up, and the pills were for the pain.

He popped the pill, and shot himself in the neck with the needle gun. He then put it all neatly back in his coat pocket.

He then looked at her. She was still staring at him.

"Please smile," he said seriously.

"… How?" she replied in a croak.

"It's easy, pull your cheek muscles in an upwards motion," he joked, doing exactly that. She couldn't help but giggle at his stupid expression. "There. Now get into bed, I'm cold."

She did so, almost robotically. She could barely bring herself to get close to him now. She was getting too scared to touch him, for fear of hurting him in case it raised his blood pressure.

He watched her for a moment, before sighing quietly and sliding over to her.

"Rose," he began softly. "We'll find the memory."

She still didn't move. "How can you be that sure?"

"We're already halfway there. We know our erased memory happened in the Manchester UNIT hospital February 2010."

"But we went there today and they don't know."

"We tried Manchester, we failed. Now we try London."

"What if they don't know?"

"They will."

"But what if they don't?" she persisted.

He sighed. "Rose, I promise we'll find this memory. Just be positive."

"You throw up every night and spray yourself with air freshener so you won't smell of sick. How can I be positive?" she pointed out, a little more than frustrated.

"I'm sorry, I don't have all the answers," he replied gently. "We'll see what London Unit HQ has for us. If they don't know, then you can be annoyed. And air freshener makes me smell lovely."

Again, she couldn't resist a giggle. He smiled at that.

"Go to sleep," he said softly. "We'll sort this tomorrow. I promise."

She sighed, switching off the light and sliding down under the covers, turning away from him and curling into herself. He shuffled nearer to her, wrapping an arm around her.

"It's okay to touch me," he said seriously in her ear. "My blood pressure won't go through the roof, I promise."

She looked back at him, his face even paler in the moonlight streaming through the window, the busy London streets below now only dim murmurs as she gazed into his eyes.

"Sorry," was all she found she could say.

"What for?" he asked, frowning.

"This is my fault. You could regenerate right now and you wouldn't need to go through this. It's just… This is all my fault."

"No, it's not. We both want this. Besides, it's not just you. I quite like this face. I mean, look at me," he said, grinning and pointing at his face.

She sighed, but couldn't help laughing again. So she turned over, pressed her face to his cheek and wrapped both her arms around him. "How's the blood pressure?"

"Fine, stop worrying," he insisted. "Now go to sleep."

She closed her eyes, and within ten minutes the familiar slow, rhythmic breathing of his little sleeping human began. He was content to just lie there, holding her close. He didn't want to go to sleep…

* * *

_"Don't move."_

_The voice was raw and grating with a tone of voice that implied that the Doctor was already going to obey it. He wanted to resist it, but for some reason his entire body was paralysed – just as the voice commanded…_

_"Are you scared?" the voice asked, almost mockingly._

_He swallowed, biting back the truth... "No," he forced out._

_"Yes, you are."_

_"Leave me alone."_

_"I'm afraid it's too late for that. Your path to insanity is already set in motion."_

_"I'm fine."_

_"The terrible thing is, I think you believe that."_

_"I'm not there anymore," the Doctor grated, starting to get angry now. "I'm home. I'm safe. I'm with my family. Any degree of sanity I had before is still very much intact."_

_"... So why are you still cold?"_

* * *

The Doctor jolted awake, taking in a sharp gasp of breath as his eyes snapped open, fixed unblinkingly at the ceiling above him.

He'd fallen asleep. How could he have let himself fall asleep?

He shivered, quickly securing his hold on Rose. She was still sound asleep, and it was still dark outside.

No more sleeping.

So he continued to lie there, wide awake, and waited patiently for the morning.

* * *

A/N: _Next time..._

_"We have been tolerant of you and your antics for a very long time, Doctor, and no matter what your motivations were it was still a reckless, illegal and intolerable act that showed us absolutely no respect. By rights you should have been detained and executed two years ago. I highly advise you and your wife to leave Unit presently. And if you will insist on showing your face here again, then God help you."_

_"Colonel, what is this commotion?" a man suddenly asked from the doorway in a voice the Doctor recognised…_

_"Brigadier?" he asked in astonishment, his arms still aloft._

_The Brigadier looked at him, but clearly didn't recognise him, so looked back at the Colonel. "Colonel, what…"_

_"It's me, the Doctor!" the Doctor interrupted, beaming from ear to ear._

_This caught the Brigadier's attention, and once more he looked back at the strange, skinny, big-haired man grinning away in front of him. "... Doctor?"_

_"I've regenerated, but it's me!" the Doctor said happily. "How are you, big fella?"_

_"Doctor, what the blazes are you doing now?" the Brigadier asked seriously, looking at all the soldiers currently pointing their weapons at his head._


	4. 19th May 2013, 11:24:01

Chapter 3 - 19th May 2013, 11:24:01

The Doctor and Rose arrived at UNIT, and were immediately greeted by a parade of soldiers waving their guns around in their faces. After a small altercation they were subjected to a borderline intimate examination for any weapons before they were marched to a control room where an important-looking man with lots of stripes on his shoulder stood, gazing at them with narrowed eyes.

"Doctor," he acknowledged.

"Was the weapons search really necessary?" the Doctor asked seriously, pulling his arm away from the overeager young UNIT soldier who was holding it tightly in restraint.

The important man didn't answer that. "What are you doing here?"

"No small talk?"

"What are you doing here?" the important man repeated, just as calmly.

"If it's not too much trouble we'd like to take a look at your archive, specifically February and March in 2010 from your Manchester hosp-"

"You won't find anything here," the important man interrupted tersely.

The Doctor sighed, glancing at Rose before staring at the man. "Did I really annoy you _that_ much?"

"We are fully within our rights to put you on trial, Doctor, I would advise you not to forget that."

"Are you threatening us?"Rose asked seriously, edging a little closer to her husband.

"I suggest you leave immediately."

"We just want to look at a little section in the archive, that's all," Rose insisted.

The important-looking man gestured at his soldiers, and suddenly the Doctor and Rose felt guns in their backs.

"Wow, that escalated quickly," the Doctor muttered, sticking his hands in the air. He looked at Rose, and saw she had got the very same treatment. "Hey, I stole those diseases, not Rose, so get your guns out of her path, please."

"I'm afraid we don't accept orders from you," the important man snapped. "Grey, Jones, please escort our visitors from the premises."

"Hooold on," the Doctor said quickly, but found the gun was being shoved into his back as an unspoken order to move. He decided to ignore it. "This is insane. I'm not your enemy."

"But you are fast becoming one," was all the important man replied.

"All I did was destroy some highly dangerous diseases," the Doctor protested. "Which, if even one molecule escaped into the public would wipe out most of the planet…"

"We have been tolerant of you and your antics for a very long time, Doctor, and no matter what your motivations were it was still a reckless, illegal and intolerable act that showed us absolutely no respect. By rights you should have been detained and executed two years ago. I highly advise you and your wife to leave Unit presently. And if you will insist on showing your face here again, then God help you."

"Colonel, what is this commotion?" a man suddenly asked from the doorway in a voice the Doctor recognised…

"Brigadier?" he asked in astonishment, his arms still aloft.

The Brigadier looked at him, but clearly didn't recognise him, so looked back at the Colonel. "Colonel, what…"

"It's me, the Doctor!" the Doctor interrupted, beaming from ear to ear.

This caught the Brigadier's attention, and once more he looked back at the strange, skinny, big-haired man grinning away in front of him. "... Doctor?"

"I've regenerated, but it's me!" the Doctor said happily. "How are you, big fella?"

"Doctor, what the blazes are you doing now?" the Brigadier asked seriously, looking at all the soldiers currently pointing their weapons at his head.

"The Doctor was caught stealing samples from the disease bank from the Birmingham laboratory two years ago, sir," the Colonel replied immediately, snapping a salute. "I was just about to have him escorted off of the premises."

"Perhaps this is a little hasty, Colonel. I was not informed of the Doctor's arrival," the Brigadier replied immediately.

The Colonel clearly winced a little. "I thought it best to deal with the situation and not bother you, sir."

"You thought wrongly, Colonel," the Brigadier shot back. "From here on in the Doctor and his companion will be treated with the respect you would ordinarily give an important guest."

"Sir, I must protest…"

"You must not. From now, I will take full responsibility for the Doctor and his companion and consequently any actions they undertake."

The Colonel snapped another salute. "Sir."

The Brigadier turned to the Doctor and Rose. "Shall we walk?" he asked and lead them out of the door, remaining silent until they were a good distance from the over-zealous Colonel. "You'll have to forgive him, newly promoted," the Brigadier told them before his eyes drifted to Rose. "Good to meet you, madam," he said, shaking hands. "May I assume you to be the Doctor's companion?"

"In all senses of the word, yeah," Rose replied, smiling.

"What body are you on now, Doctor?" the Brigadier asked.

"Tenth," the Doctor replied, noticing the Colonel coming out of the room and looking at him.

"You do churn through them, don't you?"

"Actually that's why we're here."

"Oh?"

"Anyone fancy a cup of tea?" the Doctor enquired, staring pointedly at the Colonel who quickly turned and walked in the other direction.

The Brigadier took the hint and lead them back to his office.

* * *

Once the Doctor and Rose had finished their story, the Brigadier was looking very sombre indeed.

"We must find you a way to get into the archive," he mused.

"Is that difficult?" Rose wondered.

"I'm afraid breaking into a Unit laboratory and stealing copious amounts of highly dangerous substances for any intention is not forgotten quickly. You are now untrusted, Doctor."

The Doctor frowned. "I'm no longer an ally of Unit?"

"I'm afraid not. Even I cannot erase the black mark from your record, and coming directly to Unit HQ was not the smartest move. In the eyes of Unit there is a very thin line between alien enemies and alien friends and you are now beyond that line."

"They keep mentioning execution," Rose pointed out.

"A bluff. Your only saving grace is on the word of Harry and I, and your infamous reputation amongst the Unit members. Imagine the scandal if they were to execute you, Unit would fall into complete disarray."

"Harry?" the Doctor repeated. "Is he well?"

"Yes, he is currently working with the UN overseas. I will let him know you dropped by."

The Doctor nodded, smiling. "But is it possible to get into the archives?"

"Perhaps. I am needed up country today, I will speak to the Commander on your behalf and put forward a case for you. Perhaps you could return, shall we say, tomorrow?"

The Doctor and Rose simultaneously nodded. "That's fine," the Doctor replied.

"I do not foresee any problems," the Brigadier continued. "But I must be off. See you tomorrow, Doctor. And I would recommend you stay off the premises until then."

The Doctor nodded, standing up. "Thank you so much Brigadier," he said, shaking the military man's hand. "It's been good to see you again."

"Godspeed, my friend," the Brigadier replied, also shaking Rose's hand before leaving out of the door.

The Doctor looked at Rose. "Let's get out," he said, taking her hand and leading her out of the office.

* * *

"So when did you meet him?" Rose wondered as they made it out of the UNIT base five minutes later.

"Err…" The Doctor really had to think about that for a moment. "Second body, then after I had a body confiscated by the Time Lords and I was exiled to Earth without the use of my Tardis I started working for Unit. About the time I met Sarah Jane, I think."

"Who's Harry?"

"Medical officer for Unit, he was a companion for a while."

"Oh. With all your history I can't believe Unit would just ditch you like this," Rose said seriously. "You've done loads for them, and Earth."

The Doctor shrugged. "Let's just get what we need and get out."

Rose sighed, pulling out her phone. "Better call Jack again," she said, pressed the call button and held it to her ear.

He picked up within two rings.

_"Rose? Everything okay?"_ he asked.

"Fine, Jack. Look, we're probably gonna be able to get into the archive, but we can't get in till tomorrow."

_"Spending another night there?"_

"I think we're gonna have to."

_"That's fine, don't worry about us."_

"How's everyone doing?"

_"Leah's starting to clear up, Brax's starting to throw up, and Alex and Kiana are fine. Only thing is Alex is getting a bit uptight."_

"Hold on," Rose said, looking at the Doctor. "Alex is getting uptight. You know he doesn't like us bein' away."

"You could go back if you like, I'll stick here, check the archive and head back later," the Doctor suggested.

Rose bit her lip, musing. "... No. I'll stay here. But we've gotta go back tomorrow."

The Doctor nodded.

"Jack, we're gonna stay for tonight, but we'll definitely be back tomorrow," she said down the phone.

_"Okay, no problem. Have you got enough money?"_

"Yeah."

_"Just call me if you get low, I'll arrange some more."_

"Okay, thanks. Give Alex a kiss from us."

_"Will do. Good luck, bye."_

"Thanks, bye," she said, and hung up.

"Right, how do we kill an afternoon?" the Doctor wondered, hands in pockets.

"Sightseein'," Rose decided. "And can we… go back to the old flat?"

"Why?"

"I just haven't seen it since… you know. Canary Wharf."

The Doctor nodded. "Okay, Powell Estate it is. Then we'll get lunch. I could really do with a Pret a Manger."

Rose grinned. "Okay. To the Tube. … Wait. Have you ever actually been on the Tube?"

The Doctor frowned, thinking. "Can't remember using it," he eventually said. "At least, not to actually get around. I chased Hingrad, an alien master of disguise through the underground. And the Great Intelligence used it as a base. And the Zarbi, and the Animus… And I used a station there to get to you when the Water Hive were running amok…"

"Okay, so you never actually got out an Oyster card, stepped through a gate, boarded a sweaty, smelly, hot train and been told to mind the gap?"

"Err… No."

"Then Doctor, I'm gonna teach you something new," she said, beaming from ear to ear. "By the end of today you'll know all about the world of commutin'."

* * *

They arrived at the Powell Estate, and it hadn't changed in the slightest.

The Doctor followed his wife until she stopped in the centre, gazing up at where her and her Mum lived for those nineteen years. So much had happened since then. She had become a time traveller and saviour of worlds; she had lived in a parallel universe; she was now married to a 1000-year-old alien that had the ability to change his body; she had beautiful half-alien children; she was an associate of a top secret alien investigation organisation headed by a good-looking immortal man from the 51st century... And had the best group of friends she could ever hope to have.

Standing on that balcony looking out across the city at thirteen years of age, she'd thought about what her life would be like in the years to come. She didn't imagine anything like this. How could she? It was impossible. An impossible, brilliant life.

"Thinking hard?" the Doctor suddenly asked, cutting through her thoughts.

She looked at him, smiling. "Just thinkin' how insanely brilliant my life is."

"Yeah, I often have that effect," the Doctor replied, grinning.

She dug an elbow into his ribs.

"What?" he asked innocently, still grinning.

"I wonder who lives there now?" Rose pondered.

"Yvonne and Ray, lovely elderly couple, invited me in for tea and cake," the Doctor responded immediately.

Rose laughed. "God, it's so weird. Seems like another lifetime."

"Because it was," the Doctor replied.

She pointed to an area on the ground. "That's where I fell over and grazed my knee when I was eight. I cried so much Mum had to buy ten packs of tissues."

The Doctor just smiled at that.

She pointed to a low wall running close to them. "Me and Keisha used to hang out there after school. There was this really hot guy that always took that route but he never noticed us."

"Yeah?"

"And that's where Old Scary used to sleep," she continued, pointing under an arch. "Remember him? He was the homeless guy that used to go around yellin' old poems and pushin' this shoppin' trolley full of junk. Me and Shareen used to dare each other to go up to him and say somethin' but neither of us could get close."

"Looks gone now," the Doctor noted.

"Yeah. I hope he got help." There was a brief pause as Rose thought some more, before finally looking at the Doctor. "Sorry, I'm goin' on, aren't I?"

"Not at all," the Doctor insisted.

She hugged him tightly. "God, I hope the archive has somethin' for us."

"It will," the Doctor insisted, and glanced at the shop. "Wanna drink?"

She pulled back from him and nodded. "Get whatever, I'll be out here."

"Okay," he replied, and disappeared into Londis as Rose sank back into her thoughts.

"Rose!"

Rose jumped in surprise at the voice, spinning around on the spot…

"Shareen?" she realised.

The bleach-blonde with far too much make-up and fake tan smiled. "Long time no see, girl!"

"Yeah..." Rose said, slightly stunned. "... How are you?"

"All right y'know, you?"

"Yeah, fine."

"What the 'ell 'appened to you, girl? After that robot delete thing you got on the list of the dead, I swear, I looked you up on Google!"

"I've… been travelling," Rose muttered.

"Where? 'Ow'd _you_ get the dosh?"

"I've got a new… friend."

Shareen grabbed her hand and held it up to Rose's own face. Her wedding ring seemed unusually shiny today. "No kiddin', girl! Who's the lucky guy?"

"He's just in the shop. His name's… John."

"What's he look like? Is he fit?"

"Um, yeah, pretty fit."

"What's 'is job?"

"He's a doctor."

"Bloody hell, you've pulled. Look, me and the girls are goin' to a party tonight, gonna be big, you want in?"

Rose's eye shot open in partial terror. "Actually we're a bit busy…"

"Oh, come on," Shareen begged. "Don't let me down! Everyone's gonna be there!"

"But…"

"See you at eight then, usual place, and bring your hunk too! Gotta go, late for work, bye!" she reeled off in about three seconds flat, and charged off across the estate.

"But…" Rose began, but she was already gone. "Oh God."

"What?" the Doctor asked, emerging out of the shop holding two Magnum ice creams and handing her one. "Who was that?"

Rose pulled a face, unwrapping her Magnum. "That was Shareen."

He considered her, biting his Magnum gently and sucking on the chocolate. "... And that's bad?"

"No… well, yes, but… look, we've been invited to a party tonight."

"And you don't want to?"

Rose sighed, taking a bit of her Magnum. "Not really, but I have to now."

"You can go if you want, I'll stick at the hotel," he suggested, taking another bite of chocolate.

"You're comin'."

The Doctor nearly choked on his chocolate. "I'm what?"

She grinned at his expression. "You're invited too. Plus I'm gonna need the company, Shareen loses it after two pints."

The Doctor sighed, sucking on the last of his chocolate and swallowing. "Do we have to?" he moaned.

She grinned a little more at his expression. "Look, we'll just hang around for a couple of hours, smile loads and then leave, yeah?"

The Doctor sighed again, this time with far more breath and prolongation. "Okay…"

* * *

"Don't be weird."

The Doctor looked at his wife as they stood in line outside the club, frowning.

"Weird?" he repeated.

"You know, start doing chemistry with alcohol and like when you told that woman the types of radiation that would make her breast implants explode."

"I didn't do that," he replied quickly. Too quickly.

Rose ignored him. "And you're John, okay? You're an emergency doctor."

"Why?" he asked seriously.

"I want this easy."

The Doctor shrugged. "Fair enough," he said.

* * *

"So what d'ya do, John?" Shareen asked him at precisely 8:26pm, already beginning to slur her words.

"I work at a hospital in Cardiff," the Doctor replied, glancing at Rose.

"Doin' what?"

The Doctor raised his eyebrows. "What a doctor generally does?"

"So what are you doin'?" Rose interrupted quickly before Shareen had the time to process that as an insult.

"Still at the shop!" Shareen replied, taking another swig of rum and coke.

"Livin' with your mum and dad?"

"Yeah. Oh my God, Rose, you won't believe, there was this guy who came in and looked exactly like Johnny Depp I couldn't breathe!"

Rose offered a smile. "How d'you know it wasn't him?"

Shareen gaped at her mere suggestion. "Oh my god, it was, weren't it! … Except he had ginger hair which was weird and he was well fat."

"... So it wasn't him," Rose surmised.

"Um... no," Shareen muttered.

"What would he be doin' in Claire's Accessories anyway?" Rose pointed out.

"... Yeah," Shareen finished flatly.

An uncomfortable silence took hold. The Doctor looked at Rose, then at Shareen, then got to his feet.

"I'll go phone Jack," he said, digging out his phone. Rose nodded at him before he rapidly made his way out of the door of the club.

Rose looked back at Shareen, but the woman's face had suddenly turned. "So that's your hunk, he's gotta be summat to make ya just up and leave."

Rose had to double-take, there seemed to be a lot of malice injected in her tone. "I didn't, things just... escalated."

"I'll bet," Shareen spat, and leant in. "Not even a text. Just left us all thinkin' you were dead, like that year ya just disappeared with that other guy! I thought we were fuckin' friends! What the 'ell 'appened to ya?"

Rose stared at her. "I'm sorry, I was busy…" she said, but the words were sounding increasingly more pathetic even to her ears.

"Busy fuckin' your new boyfriend!"

Rose couldn't find any other words to say. "I'm sorry."

"Now you've got kids, huh?" Shareen spat, upping her attack. "Maybe they'll grow up and ditch their friends too!"

"Really, I'm sorry," Rose said honestly.

"Though with your face they'll be so ugly they won't even have friends!"

Suddenly Rose stopped being remorseful, and instead stared in disbelief at her now ex-best friend sitting in front of her. "What did you say?"

"Ug! Ly!" Shareen yelled out.

Rose sighed, brushing back her hair. "You're so childish."

"Who's childish!?"

"You. Look at you, still out gettin' pissed, sleepin' with the first guy that smiles at you, a shop assistant in a crap job, gettin' your clothes washed by mum, borrowing dad's card without him knowin'."

Shareen stood up, hands on the table staring down at Rose. "Look who's on the fuckin' 'igh 'orse!"

"I only need a donkey to look down on you."

"You fuckin' cow!"

Rose sighed, taking another calm sip of her drink. "Grow up, Shareen."

Shareen drew back her hand, and slapped her across the face. The entire club quite abruptly stopped talking and stared at them as Rose stared at Shareen in complete disbelief.

Without a word, she got up and ran to the door to find the Doctor as the club began talking again, the music pumping away. But before she could get there a man stepped in front of her path, and she ended up running into him.

"Sorry," she stumbled out with her eyes fixed to the ground, trying to go around, but the man grabbed her arms. Rose looked up, confused. "Hey, what are you…"

She froze.

"Hey Rosie, long time no see," the man hummed into her ear, his five teeth stained yellow and black as he looked down at her in absolute delight.

Instantly Rose was frozen completely to the spot, her heart instantaneously hammering in her chest, trying to break through her ribs with every beat. Her eyes widened, her mouth dried, and complete and utter terror set in.

"Surprised to see me?" he asked, persisting with his horrible grin.

She didn't answer. She couldn't. Absolutely no plan of action came to her head. A list of potential actions were fluttering fleetingly just beyond her head, but she couldn't manage to pin one down.

There was only one word that came to her head, one word that usually sorted everything. So she took a breath, and forced her mouth to correctly pronounce the right syllables…

"DOC-"

Jimmy Stone's dirty hand clamped over her mouth, stopping her in mid yell.

"Let's go someplace a little fuckin' quieter, hmm?"

* * *

**A/N:** Still maintaining these next times...

I've never explored the real Jimmy before. He's fun. He should appear more and do more threatening things.

_Next time..._

_"Jimmy, let her go," the Doctor grated._

_"Kneel on the floor, 'ands behind ya 'ead," Jimmy demanded._

_"Don't," Rose gasped, "Doctor, run…"_

_Jimmy clamped a hand over her mouth, silencing her. "Do it or she's dead."_

_The Doctor looked between Rose and Jimmy, and obediently dropped to his knees, hands behind his head. "Jimmy, it doesn't have to be like this…"_

_Jimmy threw Rose to the ground, purposely with enough force to render her unconscious. He then raised his weapon to the Doctor, but the Time Lord's blood was already boiling and with it the excruciating, horrendous pain..._


	5. 19th May 2013, 20:31:11

Chapter 4 - 19th May 2013, 20:31:11

When the Doctor got back into the club, he couldn't see Rose anywhere. He went to where he'd left Shareen and Rose, but the table was taken up with other people.

It took a few minutes of scouring the club to find Shareen, leant against the bar snogging some random man. He went up and tapped her on the shoulder.

She unstuck herself from the man, and looked at him with contempt. "What the 'ell do you want!?" she yelled over the music.

"Sorry to interrupt, where's Rose?" he shouted.

"Called one of her oldest friends, didn't I?" Shareen said, beaming away. "Jimmy Stone's got her. Let's see 'ow Little Miss Mature deals with that!"

She recommenced snogging the man as the Doctor immediately started panicking, and the bond spiked.

"She's with Jimmy Stone!? He's here!?"

She peeled herself off again. "Yeah, you fuckin' moron!"

He turned and ran back into the main club where the music was still pumping out at the average decibel level of a concorde. He pushed his way through the crowds and scoured frantically for her, just as the lights started strobing.

"Rose!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, but he couldn't even hear himself – just a vibration in his throat. Or was that from the bass? He couldn't hear her, and she couldn't hear him...

* * *

Jimmy had taken her screaming and kicking to the men's toilets. There had been a few men in there, but Jimmy's ever-present charisma, winks and smiles had deflected any issues they had had about her panicked demeanour, and pretty soon the toilet was empty. He dragged her into a cubicle, slammed shut the door and locked it, throwing her onto the dirty toilet so she had absolutely no escape.

"_Ten_ years cos of you!" he yelled, slamming his fist against the toilet wall. "TEN FUCKIN' YEARS!"

"Doctor!" she screamed desperately.

He grinned at that, a sickening, toothless grin. "You're still scared as fuck, aren't ya?"

Rose looked at him, trying desperately not to shake in fear. "I'm… not sixteen anymore, Jimmy."

"So why can't ya run?"

Rose swallowed, curling up to protect herself. Even as she was sitting there she was looking around, processing every method of escape she could try, but none of them had a positive success rate. "What d'you want?" she asked shakily.

"You to see my face again, ya fuckin' bitch. I wanna know that ya suffered like I did. You _wanted_ it! Ya swore ya wouldn't tell but little motor mouth had to go blab to mummy and then I'm in fuckin' prison! Did ya cry? Did ya feel fuckin' _guilty_ at _all?"_

She wanted her next few words to come out strong, guided and rationally, but instead they came out in a pathetic murmur. "Shut up."

"Y'know, Rosie, y'know it weren't even my fuckin' fault. Y'know ya fuckin' asked for it. I just did what ya asked. Ya put me in fuckin' prison for doing what ya fuckin' ASKED ME TO DO!"

He slammed his hand on the wall again. She couldn't help the gasp that broke out of her, flinching and closing her eyes.

"I didn't ask you," she whispered.

"What!?" Jimmy yelled, hand at his ear as he leant closer. His breath was horrendous, full of alcohol just as it always had been. "I can't fuckin' HEAR YA!?"

"Stop tryin' to tell me I asked for it! Cos I didn't, it's not my fault, _you_ did that and I was the victim!" she suddenly burst out, in a pitch somewhere between fear and anger.

"Is that what the shrink told ya to say!?" he screamed.

"It's what happened!"

He suddenly stopped , and smiled the type of smile that didn't represent any sort of joy. Just pure madness. "Little Rosie grew up! Little 'ints of a fuckin' backbone."

"Go to hell!" she screamed, struggling to breathe through her fear and anger. "Doctor!"

"Cry out, c'mon, cry for ya new boyfriend!" he enthused, almost laughing. "He can fuckin' bring it!"

"You're half the man he is!" she yelled back. "Doctor!"

"That's it, keep yellin', BITCH!" Jimmy continued, slamming his hand onto the side again. Rose flinched. He grabbed her around the neck, looking at her through narrow, hateful eyes. He squeezed - just a little - enough to make her choke.

"Geroff," she gasped, trying desperately to peel his fingers off her neck. Eventually he did, and suddenly he had a machete in his hand. He held it straight to her throat.

"Keep yellin' for your _precious_ John!" he screamed.

She was stunned at the fact he clearly knew who the Doctor was. "... What?" she coughed out.

"Your new fuckin' boyfriend!" he yelled.

Instantly she shut her mouth. The Doctor couldn't be allowed to find her…Jimmy would kill him. Not now, not like this...

"Gone a bit fuckin' quiet, haven't ya?" Jimmy spat out, grabbing her hair and pulling her head right back. "Scream for him. C'mon. _Scream_ for your John so I can cut his fuckin' HEAD OFF!"

"No," she choked out.

"SCREAM!" he yelled in her face, bad breath and spittle flying right into her mouth and eyes…

"No!"

He raised his weapon.

* * *

The Doctor burst into the toilets, and immediately he could hear Rose yelling in pain. He ran to the only locked door and hammered his fist onto it. "Jimmy! Let her go!"

"Finally!" a man cried.

"Run, Doctor, it's a trap, he's…" Rose's voice was cut off in mid-flow and there were several bangs against the walls of the toilet cubicle, clearly limbs flailing as Rose struggled.

"Come out and face me, Jimmy!" the Doctor demanded.

"Open the door, bitch!" Jimmy yelled, and the lock slid across, the door opening to reveal Jimmy standing there holding Rose in front of him as a shield, a machete to her neck, with her face bloody.

"Jimmy, let her go," the Doctor grated.

"Kneel on the floor, 'ands behind ya 'ead," Jimmy demanded.

"Don't," Rose gasped, "Doctor, run…"

Jimmy clamped a hand over her mouth, silencing her. "Do it or she's dead."

The Doctor looked between Rose and Jimmy, and obediently dropped to his knees, hands behind his head. "Jimmy, it doesn't have to be like this…"

Jimmy threw Rose to the ground, purposely with enough force to render her unconscious. He then raised his weapon to the Doctor, but the Time Lord's blood was already boiling and with it the excruciating, horrendous pain...

He had to act now.

He was so preoccupied with trying to think of what to do he missed Jimmy pulling back a fist, and the next thing he felt was a slamming sensation right in his face. He flew back, stunned onto the toilet floor.

"Me and Rosie 'ave a 'istory, you know," the man said lowly, spittle flying over the Doctor's face as he advanced, the blade against the Doctor' neck and Jimmy's face inches from his own. "She was totally in love with me. She didn't take much work. I convinced her to drop everythin'; her home, life, job, school, and even her wet boyfriend to move in with me. Then the fun started. Had her mind, body and soul, if you know what I mean. I had a lot of fun. Guess what I did to her after that?"

"I know what you did. You're Jimmy Stone," the Doctor replied in a monotone.

"Yes, I fuckin' am. I'm gonna kill you, you prick. I'm gonna kill you and take her and you won't be able to do anythin' about it."

The Doctor didn't say another word. With lightning-quick movement he jumped to his feet, pounced forward and got his fingers on Jimmy's temple. Immediately Jimmy dropped to the floor, paralysed.

The Doctor got up, struggling to suppress his emotions as he looked down at Jimmy Stone lying there, helpless on the ground. He simply smoothed down his jacket and straightened up his tie. He stepped over him, rubbing at his rapidly bruised cheek. He forced himself to calm down and get his blood pressure under control, but it was still at an extremely high level.

"Doctor?" Rose's voice croaked. He immediately turned around, dropping down next to her.

"It's all right, we're fine," he said, helping her sit up as he quickly checked for any concussion. "How are you feeling?"

Rose ignored the question, just staring at the body lying on the ground. "... Is he…"

"Paralysed," the Doctor told her. "Not dead. Yet," he added lowly.

"Teh fuck… you do?" Jimmy rasped out, only able to move his eyes, which were darting around in alarm.

"Sorry, didn't Shareen tell you? I'm an alien," the Doctor told him, kneeling down next to him.

"W... What!?"

"You know, an alien?" the Doctor said, raising an eyebrow. "Being from another world?"

"No..."

"Yes."

"Nutter..."

"Really?" the Doctor asked. "We'll see."

"Fuck... that... s'pose... t'mean?" Jimmy slurred out, his eyes wide.

"Work it out," the Doctor said vaguely, jumping up to full height. "But you've made my species very, very angry."

"Weirdo…"

"You paralysis should wear off in about five minutes," the Doctor told him, pulling out his sonic screwdriver and running it down Jimmy. The device bleeped politely.

"Wassat…"

"This?" the Doctor asked, holding up his sonic. "This is just the device we use to find out if someone is good to be experimented on. Lucky for you, you're absolutely perfect."

Jimmy's eyes clearly filled with panic. "What?"

The Doctor stayed absolutely deadpan, helping Rose to her feet. He said something in a buzzy alien language, pressed a small short range teleportation device in his pocket, and in a whoosh of light he and Rose disappeared, leaving Jimmy lying there paralysed and absolutely terrified.

* * *

The Doctor and Rose ended up in an alleyway next to the club, Rose clinging onto him tightly. The moment they were stabilised the Doctor pulled back and checked her face.

"You okay?" he asked, reaching into his pocket to draw out a small medical kit.

"Oh God," Rose gasped, suddenly bursting into tears as the shock of what had just happened hit her.

"It's okay," the Doctor said quickly, pulling out some wipes and dabbing at the cut on her face. "That man is absolutely nothing. Don't let him get to you."

"I love you," she suddenly said.

He stopped dabbing at her cheek, and kissed her gently. "Same back at you," he replied, grinning at her daftly.

She couldn't help but smile at his stupid expression, wiping at her eyes.

"He's an immature little boy with a lot of resentment for his life. He's not scary, he's just pathetic," the Doctor continued, dabbing at her face again. "We'll put him in his place."

"I know," she sobbed.

He suddenly stopped, looking at her. "Rose, answer me honestly. Did he… do anything to you?"

She quickly shook her head.

"Honest? Don't be ashamed, just say if he did."

"He didn't," she said honestly.

"You'd tell me, wouldn't you?"

She nodded. "He didn't do anythin', I promise I'd tell you if he did."

"So he pushed you around and cut your face? Is that everything?"

She nodded.

"So he didn't hit you?"

She shook her head.

"Okay, now I feel a bit better," he said seriously, pulling back. "It's only a shallow cut, should be gone in a few weeks. You're not concussed."

"What d-do w-we do?" she said shakily.

"Call the police."

"No," Rose said immediately. "I don't wanna do that again."

"But he'll be arrested," the Doctor said seriously. "He'll go back to prison."

"I'm not doin' it, I'm not doin' court again," she said. "I just wanna go home, away from him and Shareen and London and everythin'..."

"We'll get on a train to Cardiff, then," he decided. "Right now."

"No!" Rose said immediately, throwing her arms around him. "We've nearly got to the archive, we can't just give up now."

"Forget the archive, you're far more important than that."

"Don't be an idiot," Rose shot back. "We came here for the archive so we're not leavin'."

He sighed, kissing her again. "You're unbelievable, Rose Tyler. Okay. Let's go back to the hotel."

She nodded.

* * *

There they were, back in the hotel with the Doctor throwing up in the bathroom. Rose was clutching her phone in both hands, her thumb hovering over the call button to her mum.

After ten seconds of staring at the phone, she called.

"Hello?"

"Mum."

_"'Ello darlin', 'ave you got the cure yet?"_

"Not yet… we're goin' to the archive tomorrow."

_"Okay, sweetheart. Is somethin' wrong?"_

Rose couldn't help but smile. "How'd you always know?"

_"You're my daughter! Now what's wrong?"_

"... D'you remember Shareen?"

_"Of course I do, love."_

"Well… me and the Doctor had some time to kill so we went back to the estate, and Shareen was there."

_"Oh, that sounds nice."_

Rose ignored that. "She invited us to this party tonight. So we went… Me and Shareen had an argument while the Doctor was phoning Jack, she slapped me so I ran to find him but…"

She stopped, her breath catching in her throat.

_"What?"_

"Mum… _he_ was there."

_"Who?"_

"... Jimmy."

The line went silent for a moment. _"Oh my god."_

"He… he dragged me into the loo, but the Doctor found us, Jimmy punched him… He had a machete…"

_"Oh my god! Are you two okay?"_

"We're fine, we're okay."

_"I 'ope you called the police!"_

"No, the Doctor paralysed him and we just left him there."

_"You should've called the police!"_

"I didn't want to."

_"Why not? Put 'im back in prison!"_

"I'm not doin' court again, I'm just not," she said, desperate for her mum to understand.

Jackie sighed. _"Okay."_

"I'm just…" She looked up to see the Doctor standing in the doorway, looking at her sadly. "Mum, I'm scared."

_"He don't know where you are, does 'e?"_

"No… But… Look. I love you."

_"I love you too, sweetheart. When are you comin' back?"_

"Tomorrow."

_"You'd better be, or tell that alien I'm gonna do his nut in."_

Rose smiled again. "Yeah, I'll tell him," she said, looking up at the Doctor, pointing at him, then indicating a stabbing motion with her hand. He mock frowned, dropping down on the bed next to her and pulling off his clothes.

_"I'll see you tomorrow, sweetheart. And don't think about Jimmy. Stick with the Doctor, he'll look after you."_

"I know," she said quietly. "... Are the kids there?"

_"They're asleep, sweetheart. D'you want me to get them?"_

"No, don't wake them up. Tell all of them we love them and we'll be back tomorrow."

_"Of course. See ya tomorrow."_

"See ya."

Rose hung up and looked at her husband who was staring at her. He had a black eye, not too severely though. As she thought about it he reached up to check her head again, a small cut and tiny bruise where she'd hit the floor, before checking the cut on her cheek. Though it would clear up, she knew he still felt guilty at the fact it was even there.

"Tomorrow, then we never have to come back here, yeah?" she surmised.

He nodded, sighing and flopping back down onto the pillows. "Never again," he confirmed, looking sideways at her. And with his gaze, she suddenly found herself bursting into tears, taking herself by surprise.

"Hey," the Doctor said quickly, shifting over to wrap his arms around her.

"S-sorry," she sobbed, shaking.

"Don't apologise," the Doctor insisted.

"I d-don't know why… I'm c-cryin'…"

"Because you're in shock," the Doctor told her informatively. "You're stressed and upset."

She squeezed her eyes shut, striving to stop the tears.

"Don't stop," the Doctor said gently. "Cry it out. I'm not judging you. And y'know, crying is actually beneficial to your health, because emotional tears contain high levels of adrenocorticotrophic, which triggers cortisol in the body, which is what creates stress, and stress can lead to long term effects of heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. So crying reduces that in your system. So it's really quite beneficial to cry."

She couldn't help but smile through her tears at the very Doctor-ish response. "Yeah, but… I c-cry a lot."

"Did you know that on average women cry forty-seven times a year and men only seven? That's mainly due to the higher levels of estrogen and prolactin in a woman. So if you didn't cry forty-seven times a year I'd be worried. Plus, you could never beat Donna's record."

"What did you d-do to her?" she jested, perking up a bit as she sniffed.

"I have no idea. She cried when I first met her, she cried in Rome, she cried on the Oodsphere… Geez, that woman could cry."

She giggled, snuggling into him and using his chest to wipe her eyes. She then drew back, looking down at his half-naked body. She liked to think she knew every inch of it. His appendectomy scar, and the mark just above it when he'd been stabbed by the Master whilst in captivity at the Shadow Proclamation. Then there were many white scars and other permanent damage from the Shadow Proclamation's torture. Then there was the cluster of nerves on his shoulder where she could knock him out with one punch, and his easily accessible g-spot between his shoulder blades she'd stumbled on quite by accident. She knew it inside out. He'd said it himself to her on several occasions - it was her body. It was born when he was with her, as if designed especially for her, and now it would die while it was with her.

That was why they were fighting so hard to keep that body, so he would regenerate looking exactly as he had before. It just seemed so hard to convince herself of that now. Would it really be so bad for him to regenerate into a new body?

"I know my body's amazing, but you need to take your eyes off it and go to sleep," the Doctor suddenly said, interrupting her thoughts.

"Sorry." She smiled and kissed him on the lips, then snuggled under the duvet and draped herself over his chest. The Doctor turned off the light.

"Don't worry about Jimmy," he whispered in the darkness. "I've got a brilliant plan."

"You'd better," she said seriously, adjusting her ear so it was over his beating right heart.

"Just need to talk to Brax," he continued. "You'll love it, I promise."

But she was already asleep, snoring gently. He rolled his eyes and kissed her forehead, getting himself comfortable before allowing himself to just lie there and wait until morning again.

* * *

**A/N: **Still going with the next times! I run out soon.

_Next time..._

_"We met Jimmy Stone, one of Rose's less fondly remembered ex-boyfriends," the Doctor explained. "He attacked us with a weapon, hit me, but I managed to paralyze him and we got away."_

_"Not him," Mickey groaned. "I hope you called the police."_

_The Doctor glanced at Rose, then back at the group. "Oh no, where would be the fun in that?" he jested, grinning. "I've got a better idea. Brax," he turned to his brother, who was chewing thoughtfully on his slice of pizza. "How d'you fancy a Betty and Barney run?"_

_Brax slowly matched his grin. "Oh, it's been so long. I would love that."_

_"Betty and Barney?" Mickey echoed questioningly._

_"Betty and Barney Hill. First ever reported alien abductees," Martha supplied, also smiling._


	6. 20th May 2013, 19:01:13

Chapter 5 - 20th May 2013, 19:01:13

"Geez, who did you piss off?" were Jack's first words to the Doctor as he stepped through the Hub door with a rather obvious black eye.

The Doctor didn't have a chance to reply before Rose came through, and Jack's eyes widened at the cut down her face.

"Rose!?" he asked in alarm, looking at her, then the Doctor's black eye, and then back to that cut on her cheek. "What…"

"Jack, please," the Doctor interrupted, hand in the air. "We're in dire need of tea and pizza."

"Oh, yeah," Jack said, looking back at Ianto who was hovering over his shoulder. "Yan, can you…"

"Already on it, sir," Ianto said, staring at the Doctor and Rose before drawing out his phone to order pizza.

"C'mon," Jack said, gesturing them up to his office, but the Doctor was already shaking his head.

"Where are the kids?"

"Tardis," Jack replied, quickly leading the way there instead.

* * *

Leah was sat in front of the TV when her parents arrived, kicking her feet against the sofa. The moment she saw them she jumped off and ran to her father, hugging his leg tightly.

"Daddy," she said happily, looking up at him as Rose crossed to Alex. "What did you do to your face?"

He dropped to her, kissing her and holding her tightly. "Honestly? I got punched in the face by one of your mum's ex-boyfriends," he said, and she laughed. He then pulled back and looked at her, grinning. "Hey, no spots!"

"Uncle Brax says I'm okay now," Leah informed him.

"Yeah… How is Uncle Brax?"

"His spots went last night," she said.

"Hold on… I missed him being covered in disgusting pus-filled spots?"

She giggled at his tone of voice. "He looked really funny."

"I'll bet," the Doctor replied, sighing. "Why didn't you take pictures? I was relying on you!"

"He said not to else he wouldn't gimme ice cream."

"That fiend!" the Doctor jested, and hugged her again. "Ugh, I missed you."

"Did you find how to fix you?" she suddenly asked quietly over his shoulder.

He sighed, closing his eyes. "No. But we'll keep trying."

She drew back, and smiled at him. He couldn't help but smile in return and kiss her forehead as Rose came back with Alex, who reached out to his dad to be taken. The Doctor obliged, hugging him and kissing him.

"Where's Kiana?" Rose asked, looking at Jack hovering in the doorway.

His confused expression was immediately replaced by a genuine smile. "She's with… Oh, come look."

He rushed off out of the doorway. The Doctor and Rose shared a glance, raising eyebrows, before each taking a child to Jack's destination.

His destination turned out to be the play room, where Kiana was on the floor with someone the Doctor didn't immediately recognise sitting next to her, playing.

The man was wearing what looked like a highwayman and pirate outfit combined; a white shirt with ruffed collar and cuffs covered in a well-used black leather jacket, with a metal pauldron on his right shoulder and a red cloth tie around the top of his other arm. He had black skinny jeans with some recently-repaired rips in them, two laser handguns in a double holster under his jacket and a sword in a brown leather scabbard on his back. His hair was mid-length and flat, clinging to his head, and he was currently pulling faces at the little Gallifreyan baby who was laughing away in an adorable squeak.

"You're a natural," the Doctor commented.

The man looked up at him, and beamed. "Doctor!" he exclaimed, scooping up Kiana and jumping to his feet. "Nice eye!"

"Zak!" The Doctor spread warm smile. "When did you get here?"

"Few hours ago," Jack replied enthusiastically.

"We were in the Sol system, Leya's having a meeting with the ambassador of Pluto and I didn't need to be there so I thought I'd drop in," Zak told them happily, and looked at Rose. "You're Rose!" he realised.

"Oh, sorry, this is Zak," the Doctor told his wife, gesturing at the man himself. "You know, my Echo."

"Nice to meet you," Rose said as they shook hands. "How's the Shadow Proclamation thing goin'?"

"Well we're called the Neo Proclamation now," Zak said, still smiling away. "We've managed to take jurisdiction over a one light year radius of our Headquarters so far, and we've got 500,000 volunteer Peacekeepers."

"In five days?" the Doctor asked.

"Yeah, we've been _really_ busy," Zak replied, and Jack gave him a supportive slap on the shoulder.

"Told you you'd be flawless, didn't I?" the immortal enthused.

Zak nodded. "We just got our story out, now every planet's inviting us to go there and talk with them."

"Brilliant," the Doctor said happily.

"So, your turn," Jack prompted.

The Doctor looked at Rose. "Get everyone together," he told Jack. "And I still want pizza and tea."

* * *

Ten minutes later, the Doctor, Rose, Jack, Brax and Jackie with Tony were sitting in the TARDIS living room, waiting on the others to bring the tea and pizza.

"So we went to Manchester and got pointed towards the London archive. We managed to get into the London archive but there was nothing in there, except a document on me when I was admitted, bleeding from my arm. Just some medical notes, nothing that triggered anything," the Doctor explained.

Jack stared at him. "Not even a clue?"

The Doctor shook his head.

"So it's a dead end."

"Yeah," the Doctor confirmed.

"There's gotta be somethin'," Jackie insisted. "Isn't there another archive or somethin'?"

"No."

"What the hell are we do gonna do?" Jack asked seriously.

"I don't know."

"I know," Rose suddenly piped up.

Everyone looked at her. "What?" Jackie asked quickly.

"... Just regenerate. Forget about this template thing."

There was a very long silence.

"Rose," the Doctor began quietly, taking her hand that was resting on the table. "We've talked about this, it's not just you that wants to keep this body, all right?"

"This is just… it's stupid," Rose said, barely able to look him in the eye. "You're sufferin' and all this could just stop if you regenerated now."

"Do you _want_ me to regenerate now?"

"No, but we don't exactly have a choice, yeah?" Rose replied, still staring at the table.

"We've got a few months to play with. It doesn't have to be now. Something might turn up."

"But it won't will it?" Rose answered, getting frustrated now. "Nothing's gonna turn up, and you're gonna spend the next few months hurtin' and turning into this bedridden vegetable cos of me."

"It's not because of you."

"Yeah it is, I'm just this stupid little human that can't accept somethin' that's totally normal for you!"

"You're not stupid, and I understand why."

"Never happened before, has it though?" she continued. "Never cared about your old body when you regenerated before, did you?"

"That's irrelevant…"

"Now here I am cryin' cos I know one day I'm not gonna see that stupid face again!"

He reached forward pulled her into a hug, comforting her as she cried.

"It's not fair," she sobbed.

"No, it's not. But we'll find something. Eh?" he pulled back, gazing into her eyes. "I promise we'll find something, even if it comes later rather than sooner."

She didn't reply to that, just crying.

"For God's sake," Jackie suddenly said abruptly. "Couldn't you just time travel? Back then to see what happened?"

"No, we're part of events now," Brax said quietly.

"Who cares about the bloody laws of space," Jackie replied rudely.

"We cannot physically get there," Brax explained patiently. "The timeline would reject us - throw us out of time. If we could, I would have done it already. Besides, even if we could, the shock of seeing it happen would severely damage Thete and Rose's brains. You know that, Jack. You saw it."

Jack nodded. "Zak," was all he said.

Brax nodded. "He was lucky, his brain was fairly new and pliable. Thete and Rose wouldn't recover. They have to remember it for themselves."

There was a knock on the door and Zak entered, poking his head around the door. "Can we come in?"

The Doctor nodded as Rose pulled away from him, quickly wiping at her eyes as Martha, Mickey, Gwen and Ianto poured in with pizza and tea. Everyone took a seat and a slice of pizza before the Doctor began.

"We met Jimmy Stone, one of Rose's less fondly remembered ex-boyfriends," the Doctor explained. "He attacked us with a weapon, hit me, but I managed to paralyze him and we got away."

"Not him," Mickey groaned. "I hope you called the police."

The Doctor glanced at Rose, then back at the group. "Oh no, where would be the fun in that?" he jested, grinning. "I've got a better idea. Brax," he turned to his brother, who was chewing thoughtfully on his slice of pizza. "How d'you fancy a Betty and Barney run?"

Brax slowly matched his grin. "Oh, it's been so long. I would love that."

"Betty and Barney?" Mickey echoed questioningly.

"Betty and Barney Hill. First ever reported alien abductees," Martha supplied, also smiling.

"You're gonna abduct him?" Mickey paraphrased.

"We're aliens, it's what we're supposed to do," the Doctor replied. "Let's scare him."

"That's brilliant," Mickey said, astonished.

"Zak." The Doctor turned to him. "Can we borrow your ship?"

"Of course," he replied.

"I'll grab some morphic boxes, and Jack, I'll need to borrow your immortality."

"No problem," Jack said. "In what horrific way am I dying?"

"Oh, you won't be dying," the Doctor assured him. "Got something a bit better than that in mind…"

* * *

It was 2am in London. Jimmy Stone had just finished his joint, and was lying on his moth-eaten sofa with the TV on mute, blasting drum and bass out of his speakers. He could hear the couple next door having a screaming match about someone cheating on someone, but he was barely paying attention, putting his arms behind his head and closing his eyes to drift away...

Suddenly a light shone, so brightly Jimmy snapped awake immediately, swearing loudly and covering his eyes. There was a sudden, piercing shriek, like a large, heavy, rusty door that drilled right into his brain. He stumbled to his feet, then abruptly dropped to his knees and forced his eyes open, towards the window…

The light was so bright it was somehow coming straight through his drawn black curtains, and he crawled forward to reach forward and pull one back…

It was a spaceship.

"Fuck!" Jimmy shrieked in a high-pitch voice, staring at the craft as it hovered there, strange lights flashing on and off…

"Kzzhaarki," a voice suddenly said behind him, and he spun around to come face to face with two - very clearly - aliens. They were completely blue, with bulbous heads and big black eyes, their brains exposed, wearing shimmering white robes and strange metal devices around their necks. One raised a hand - in it, a weapon, some sort of silver gun with a weird chamber on it...

"No!" Jimmy squealed, but the alien had already fired. He was paralysed immediately, dropping to the floor like a rag doll, unable to move anything but his eyes, which flickered around in utter terror…

"Mzzarbla," one of the aliens said to the other.

"Kzzar tch bala crzz," the other one replied.

"Trazzz…"

They stepped forward, a hand stretching out, thin, long, spindly fingers towards him…

"Ahh!" Jimmy managed to get out of his mouth, trying desperately to form words. "No, no, no, no, no, no!"

Then suddenly his flat was gone before his eyes and he found himself lying on a table, bright lights above him…

"No!" he squealed desperately. His mouth was beginning to move more freely now… "Please, please let me go!"

"Subject name; Jimmy Stone. Species, Solian, designated Human from the planet Sol 3."

Jimmy recognised that voice. He tried desperately to look for him, but he didn't appear to be anywhere…

"Doctor!" he cried. "You're fuckin' there I know it right, if this is some kinda fuckin' sick joke then fuckin' stop now or I'll beat the shit outta you!"

Suddenly he appeared, right next to Jimmy - but this wasn't the Doctor he'd punched in a toilet in Camden. This man - no, _thing_ - had blue skin, just like the others, but it was unmistakably him. The shock of brown hair was still on his head, and he still wore that brown pinstriped suit and long tan coat.

"Subject age; 25 Sol 3 years," the Doctor alien man continued, apparently not having heard him. "Subject description; tall, brown hair, blue eyes, well-built. Subject physical condition…" The Doctor alien paused for a moment to contemplate that. "... Mildly amusing," he completed.

"Lemme go!" Jimmy roared.

"Subject identification number; 15344/x3. Switch on translation modes, designated Sol 3, English. Begin experimentation."

Suddenly four more of those aliens in white robes appeared, wielding horrible-looking devices that Jimmy was very sure they'd be inserting into him.

"Are you… are you gonna anal probe me!?" Jimmy gasped out.

The Doctor alien winced. "Oh no, no offence but who'd wanna anal probe you?"

"Why do they always assume we go up that way?" another alien buzzed from Jimmy's right, one holding some sort of thin metal rod that was shimmering without any apparent cause.

"We like going up the nose," the Doctor alien continued, smiling a very horrible smile. "Right up into the brain."

"No… no!" Jimmy squealed again, screaming like a little girl. "Please! No! NO!"

"Emperor Rose," the Doctor alien suddenly said, looking up. Everyone else looked with him, so Jimmy followed their gazes to a lone woman, sitting in a large, decorated throne wearing a crown and robes.

"Rose!?" Jimmy gasped at the sight.

"Do we have permission to begin the experimentation?" the Doctor alien asked.

"Rose! Please! I'm fuckin' sorry, all right!" Jimmy burst out, almost in tears of fear. "I'm real fuckin' sorry, you gotta believe me! I'm sorry for what I did! I did my time, I swear imma changed man, just tell 'em to lemme go!"

For a moment, he thought he'd got through to her. She was staring at him sympathetically.

"I was fuckin' crazy back then I swear, I was only a kid and I'll never do it again, I'll leave you alone, I'll go live in fuckin' India or summat, just _please_ lemme go!"

She continued to stare at him, until she opened her mouth, Jimmy's heart racing…

"Continue with the experimentation, Commander Theta Sigma."

"NO!" Jimmy screamed.

"Yes, milady," the Doctor alien said, bowing to her before turning back to Jimmy…

But Jimmy had spotted the alien to his left was holding a knife, and was distracted. He forced his body to move through sheer willpower to grab the knife, getting the handle and turning it around back to threaten the surrounding alien group.

"Let me go!" he demanded as the aliens suddenly backed off. Except one, one who was playing the hero. The alien he'd taken the knife from was reaching out to get it back, and came a little too close for Jimmy's comfort. He instinctively slashed the alien's wrist, and a hand dropped off onto Jimmy's chest.

Jimmy screamed again, frozen with absolute fear and panic at the hand now lying spread-eagled on his chest. The alien took some time to realise what he'd done, ending up just staring at its new stump on the end of its arm. For a moment there was silence… until the alien started to _laugh_.

Then they were all laughing, and Jimmy didn't know what to make of it. Soon he realised why, as the alien's stump suddenly began to morph. It was expanding - growing out into something, something that took the form of…

A hand.

"What the _fuck!?"_ Jimmy shrieked. Then he was crying, transfixed at the sight in front of him of the hand he'd just severed regrowing on the end of the alien's wrist… "NO!" he screamed, hyperventilating. "NO! NO! NO!"

Suddenly the aliens had taken hold of him again, holding up their weird alien instruments. But Jimmy could barely breathe, and soon he was hyperventilating. The aliens moved towards him, instruments at the ready…

He passed out.

* * *

Jimmy woke up on his sofa, sweating and shaking. He sat up immediately and looked to the nearest clock - it was 7am. He'd lost five hours! Had the aliens had him for five hours?

He thought about that for a moment, until suddenly shaking his head. No. It was a dream. He'd fallen asleep, and it was a dream. A really, really messed up dream. That's all.

He dragged himself upright, but still couldn't manage to stop shaking. He dragged himself to the bathroom, diving for the sink and running the hot water to splash his face. He finally looked up to the mirror, and saw it.

There was a long, light scar right across his forehead - precise, just like an incision.

He'd been abducted by aliens.

He screamed, running outside and nearly colliding with his neighbour Baz coming the other way.

"Baz!" he gasped."Oh my fuckin' God, I got taken by aliens, I swear to god, you gotta 'elp me!"

"Eh?" Baz asked seriously, utterly stunned.

"My ex-girlfriend, she was their leader and 'er boyfriend now was being the commander and there were loads of them and one grew back 'is _fuckin' hand!"_

Baz stared at him. "The fuck you been smokin'?"

"I swear!" Jimmy said, almost pleading. "Look what they did!"

He pointed to his head, but Baz just laughed.

"Seriously mate, go to bed."

"Baz!" Jimmy yelled, frustrated.

"Nice chattin', Jimmy," Baz said, laughing. "When I get back I want whatever you're 'avin."

He walked off, still laughing.

"Fuck, no, fuck, no, fuck!" Jimmy swore in quick succession, hands on his head. This wasn't happening. But it all made sense. Rose was their emperor and if that Doctor alien was a General, then he'd be her bodyguard… And it was so crazy that nobody would _ever_ believe him...

"Looking for someone to believe you?"

Jimmy spun around, coming face to face with a strange-looking pale, ginger man. "Who the fuck are you!?"

"I'm someone who believes you," the man answered simply in a light Welsh accent. "And I can help."

"What!?"

"That wasn't real. The Doctor made it seem real. He wanted to scare you. And my God, he did a good job."

Jimmy frowned. "You takin' the fuckin' piss?"

The man didn't answer that. "He set you up, Jimmy."

"But he was all blue and those other people were aliens!"

"Simple morphic illusions."

"But the hand!"

"His best friend is an immortal."

"You're talkin' shit."

"I'm afraid it's real. He played the perfect joke on you as revenge for what you did to Rose."

"But…"

"He loves Rose Tyler, and she wanted to see you cry. So he made it happen."

Jimmy faltered, frozen. He knew. He just _knew_ the man was telling the truth. "I wanna kill that fuckin' Doctor!"

"Then you, my friend, have just met the right person," the man replied, smiling. "And once we're done with him, you can have Rose Tyler. Come with me."

* * *

**A/N: **Oh Doctor, you so silly.

_Next time..._

_Before he had a chance to react to that the Hub door suddenly rolled back, and the alarms immediately began in a deafening wail. The crowd burst into the Hub like water breaking a bank, and he was immediately grabbed by two of them._

_"Whoa, whoa, can't we -ah!- talk about this!?" he asked as he was yanked to the side, and something cold yet painfully familiar pressed against his head. It was gun._

_"Don't move," a voice grated, but the Doctor wasn't paying attention to that. He was looking at his little girl, standing there in the middle of the Hub staring in horror…_

_"No! Leah!" he realised, panicked. He had to get her out of there..._

_"Daddy!" she squealed._

_"Leah, run!"_

_The little girl turned and ran to the TARDIS, but was intercepted by one of the men. The Doctor's eyes shot open and he struggled for all he was worth, managing to get free for a split second, running to the girl…_

_Suddenly something hit him in the side of the head. Pain blazed through his skull and eye as he let out a yell of pain, and before he had any chance to work anything out he hit the floor, unconscious._


	7. 22nd May 2013, 04:03:47

**A/N: **So here's a super long bumper extreme massive gigantic gargantuan colossal chapter. I like adjectives.

* * *

Chapter 6 - 22nd May 2013, 04:03:47

It had been a day since they been to see Jimmy, and they were still congratulating themselves on a job well done. Zak had left to go and pick up Leya after spending the night with Jack (which the Doctor decided not to think about too much) and they'd waved him off from the top of a tower.

After finally managing to ground the erratic Time Lord for more than two minutes, Martha had been able to finally sort out a birth plan with the Doctor. She was going to give birth in the TARDIS infirmary. The Doctor himself would be there to deliver, Mickey viewing as the father, and Gwen and Rose there for help and emotional support with no one else. She had gone away with a bounce in her step.

The Doctor had decided to skip bed for the night, giving Rose some story about needing to work on the TARDIS. She'd believed him. Now he was sat in the console room fully dressed at 4am, feet propped up on the console reading the big dusty book on regeneration.

"Daddy?"

He nearly jumped five foot in the air with the shock, looking down to see Leah standing there with her fist bunched in her nightshirt, gazing up at him with big eyes.

"Oh, hello," he said, then realised what he was reading and quickly shut the book and set it on the side. "What are you doing up?"

"Came to to see you."

"Why?"

"You don't feel right."

He gazed at her for a moment. "What do you mean?"

"You feel... lonely."

He forced a small smile, inviting her to jump up onto the chair beside him. He then placed his fingers on her temples and closed his eyes.

"Let me in a second," he said out loud, and she did. Within seconds he confirmed his theory and drew back. "Wow, you know what's happening now, don't you?"

"What?" she asked, opening her eyes again.

"You bond with me is starting to mature. Soon you'll be able to feel my presence all day every day, whether you want to or not."

Leah giggled, taking his hand in both her little ones, playing with his fingers. "Just don't be lonely, cos I'm here."

"Oh, I'm not lonely," the Doctor replied immediately. "How can I be lonely with all of you lot constantly annoying me?" he jested.

"So why do you feel bad?" she persisted.

"Like I said, the bond is just maturing. Emotional cross wiring is all, feelings that aren't there, that sort of thing," he lied. "I'm fine, but thanks for worrying about me."

She giggled again and reached for hug around his midrift. He gathered her up and hugged her tightly against his chest, kissing her forehead.

"Love you," he said.

"I love you too."

"Now, shouldn't you be in bed?" he asked seriously, holding her from him.

"No," Leah replied innocently.

He grinned at that and kissed her again. "Go to bed."

"You go to bed," she batted back.

"Hey," the Doctor began, raising an eyebrow. "I ordered first. And I'm the adult so what I say goes cos I'm older and more responsible...er."

She sighed, slipping off of his lap. "G'night."

"Nighty night," was what he _would_ have responded, but there was suddenly the sound of shouting from a distance - but close enough to worry him. The Doctor frowned, got up and stepped out into the Hub, going straight to the monitor that showed the area outside the rolling front door.

There were a crowd of people there, dressed in black.

Before he had a chance to react to that the Hub door suddenly rolled back, and the alarms immediately began in a deafening wail. The crowd burst into the Hub like water breaking a bank, and he was immediately grabbed by two of them.

"Whoa, whoa, can't we -ah!- talk about this!?" he asked as he was yanked to the side, and something cold yet painfully familiar pressed against his head. It was gun.

"Don't move," a voice grated, but the Doctor wasn't paying attention to that. He was looking at his little girl, standing there in the middle of the Hub staring in horror…

"No! Leah!" he realised, panicked. He had to get her out of there...

"Daddy!" she squealed.

"Leah, run!"

The little girl turned and ran to the TARDIS, but was intercepted by one of the men. The Doctor's eyes shot open and he struggled for all he was worth, managing to get free for a split second, running to the girl…

Suddenly something hit him in the side of the head. Pain blazed through his skull and eye as he let out a yell of pain, and before he had any chance to work anything out he hit the floor, unconscious.

* * *

Leah screamed as her Daddy hit the floor, struggling against the men holding her but to no avail. She watched, transfixed as his unresponsive body was dragged away into a side room, the door slammed shut behind him.

"Uncle Jack!" she screamed desperately, tears streaming down her face. "Uncle Brax!"

"Shut up!" one of the men demanded of her, clamping a big hand over her mouth. She wasn't deterred. She continued to struggling, waving her arms and legs around, and managed to kick with some force to his stomach. He gasped and dropped her immediately, just as Brax appeared, wide eyed.

She ran to him immediately seeking protection. But the guns were already pointed at them.

"Get in the corner!" one of the men ordered.

Brax didn't have a choice. He grabbed his crying niece and held her tightly, backing up into the corner as instructed.

"Who are you?" he asked, but didn't get an answer.

"Where is Jack Harkness!?" the man demanded to know.

"If I did know I wouldn't tell you," Brax shot back.

"Tell us or the girl dies!"

Brax stared at them. "Go on," he invited, shielding her completely with his body. "By all means, have a try!"

The man raised his gun, and for a split second Brax prepared himself to have a quick regeneration…

"Brax!?" Jack suddenly shouted from the door of his office.

"Jack, they want you! Run!" Brax said quickly, but there was the sound of a gunshot and Jack hit the floor - a bullet right through his head. Brax quickly made sure Leah couldn't see him.

Three soldiers grabbed Jack and dragged him towards the Hub exit.

"Theta!" Brax yelled, alarmed. "Theta, where are you!?"

"Daddy!" Leah sobbed in his arms.

He couldn't do anything as the soldiers flooded into the TARDIS where everyone was, helpless.

"Rose!" Brax yelled desperately, knowing full well she couldn't hear him…

* * *

The Doctor woke up, moaning loudly with an excruciating pain to the right side of his head. But it didn't seem to come out properly, his face somehow tightened - he was gagged, he could work out that much.

"Be quiet!" a voice hissed, and he felt what he worked out to be a foot planting itself into his side. He cried out, the sound somewhat suppressed by his gag. But he obeyed it, staying completely silent as he opened his eyes. At least, his left eye, which was the only one that seemed to be working.

He found himself in a small, metal room - one of Torchwood's, if the architecture was anything to go by. As well as being gagged he was bound by the hands and feet by duct tape, and above him was a man in black, holding a gun threateningly at him.

"Don't move," the man hissed.

Where was Rose? The kids? Jack? Brax? He had absolutely no idea what was going on, though it was clear whatever was happening he needed to get up and get out of here, but he could barely think through the excruciating pain in his head…

"What the hell are you doing!?" a voice yelled, and the Doctor immediately felt the utter _relief_ flooding through him… until the man spoke again. "I said stick a bag over his head! You know how smart he is! If he can see us, it's too much!"

"Sorry, sir," the soldier said immediately, knelt to the Doctor and put a black bag over his head. Then, the familiar feeling and tightness of duct tape secured it in place. Great, so now he was going to asphyxiate.

"And who the hell hit him?" the second man continued.

"I don't know, sir."

The second man sighed. "Have you got rid of his sonic screwdriver?"

"Yessir."

"Good. Make him more secure."

The door closed, and the Doctor heard and felt the man move towards him.

* * *

Alex was curled up underneath the living room table, staring at the door. Outside he could hear yelling - there were people inside the TARDIS - dangerous people, people with guns. He could hear his mother screaming his name, but he didn't respond, squeezing his eyes shut.

Suddenly the door opened. He opened his eyes, but those weren't familiar feet.

"He's in here!" a voice said, and Alex immediately clamped his hand over his mouth. But within seconds a man had stooped and there he was, staring black at Alex through a balaclava.

"He's here!" the man with the balaclava said, and reached forward to grab the boy by his shirt.

Alex immediately screamed, but the man quickly had a secure hold on him.

"Got him!" the man said.

"NO!" the little boy suddenly yelled out, trying desperately to worm his way out of the man's grip but it was too strong. "DA! DA!"

"Let him go!" a voice suddenly shouted - it was Uncle Ianto, standing there in his crisp suit holding one of Uncle Jack's guns.

"Kill him," a man gruffed, and Alex heard a shot loud blast to his right. He couldn't see Ianto, but he heard something hit the floor.

"DA!" Alex screamed again. "DA!"

The man clamped a hand over his mouth, and the group started running back to the Hub.

* * *

Braxiatel knew something was going on as several of them flooded out of the TARDIS, and he could hear someone struggling. The man holding a gun at his niece wasn't moving - obscuring his vision.

"Who have you taken?" Brax asked quickly. "Tell me what is happening!"

The man didn't reply. "Be quiet!" he demanded.

"No!" Brax yelled back, putting Leah down and standing up, making sure she was behind his legs. She continued to cling onto him, sobbing for her dad. "What are you doing!? Where is the Doctor!?"

"Stay back!" the man in front of him yelled again, backing away in slight apprehension.

Brax saw his chance, and took it. He darted forward, wrenching the gun out of the man's hands. It caused the gun to fire, flying across the Hub and smashing something in the distance. He finally got the gun, using it as a bludgeon to wave around blindly, trying to hit the man. But the man had somehow found him, grabbed his arm and pulled it, hard. Brax was sent flying over the railing, falling to the metal floor a few metres below with a terrible sound.

* * *

"Ianto!?" Rose screamed, finding the man strewn out on the TARDIS corridor floor bleeding profusely. He didn't respond, just lying there. It was apparent he'd been shot. "Ianto!"

"Rose!" it was Martha arriving next to her, panicked. "What's happening!?"

Rose looked up at her, wide-eyed. "Look after Ianto, I've gotta find the kids!" she shouted, jumping to her feet and running off to the Hub, screaming their names.

She burst out of the TARDIS door, and came across a crowd of the men, one holding her daughter at gunpoint with Brax lying on the floor. She ran to Leah instantly, throwing herself around the crying four-year-old.

"Back off!" she snapped at the man with such ferocity he did, glancing back at his group before running off to join them. Then they all filtered out of the Hub door, and suddenly there was silence.

"Oh God," Rose breathed, kissing her daughter and hugging her tightly.

"Rose?" Mickey cried, emerging from the door of one of the offices. "Rose, are you okay? Where's Martha?"

"She's okay, she's in the TARDIS with Ianto," Rose said quickly, picking up her daughter in both arms. "He's been shot, go help her, have you seen the Doctor or Alex?"

"No," Mickey said quickly, and disappeared into the TARDIS.

"Brax!" Rose cried, running down the steps to the Time Lord strewn out on the floor, just coming to consciousness. He sat up, his eye wide and cradling his arm.

"Rose, I had Leah, where is…"

"I've got her, it's okay," Rose said quickly, kissing the girl's head. "Where's the Doctor?"

"They hit him," Leah suddenly burst out, sobbing.

Brax was on his feet immediately. "Go and find Alex, I will find Thete. Go!"

Rose ran off immediately as Gwen came out of the TARDIS to join Brax.

"We've got casualties," Gwen told him. "Where's Jack?"

"He was taken," Brax said quickly, scanning the area. "Help me look for Thete, he has been attacked, he is most likely unconscious…."

* * *

The Doctor was awake and lying in the room, barely able to breathe. He could hear the others yelling outside of the door, getting closer.

"Doctor?" It was Gwen.

"Mmm," he hummed out weakly, barely able to get enough air to say anything now. They hadn't heard it.

"I can't find him anywhere," Brax through the door, panicking.

"Did they take him too?" Gwen asked quickly.

"No, I can feel him here…"

The Doctor groaned. Clearly he was going to have to do this himself. He used his legs as leverage, pushing his body progressively towards the direction he knew the door was. He soon hit it, and - praying it wasn't a concrete wall - pulled his head back and hit it on the surface three times distinctively. It did nothing to help his already injured head, the pain alone nearly making him black out…

* * *

"Did you hear that?" Gwen asked suddenly, looking at Brax.

They both looked in the direction it had come from - one of the weapons rooms that no one went into. Immediately Brax pounced forward and opened it, before realising very shortly afterwards he'd nearly KO'd his brother with the door.

"Sorry, Thete," he said quickly. "Through here!" Brax shouted back out the door. "Gwen, fetch some scissors!"

Brax looked down at his little brother lying there wrapped head to toe in duct tape, a black bag on his head with yet more duct tape around his neck. He knew full well his brother was probably running out of air. Keep up a conversation.

"By Rassilon's beard, someone _really_ didn't want to see your face, did they?" he joked. "Although, can you blame them?"

He heard Thete moan under the bag. Probably telling him to shut up.

"Jack has vanished, I think they abducted him," Brax continued, dropping to his haunches and resting a hand on his brother's shoulder. "We have no idea who they were. They just sauntered in and overcame us all. They killed Jack - they must have known he is immortal."

"Got some!" Gwen said as she came back in. Brax took the scissors from her and took hold of the hem of the bag.

"I will _try_ to avoid your neck," Brax joked, a few snips later and the bag was pulled off to reveal the side of the Doctor's head was covered in blood, the right side of his face covered in bruises, and his skin was practically blue.

"Jesus Christ," Mickey's voice said, who'd clearly arrived at the doorway.

"Mickey, fetch some oxygen," Brax ordered. "He's asphyxiating... Thete," he breathed. Seeing his little brother in this state was suddenly not very funny. "Don't move your head. I'm cutting through the tape on your mouth."

The Doctor moaned again, his chest rapidly rising and falling in tiny measures, clearly trying to get some air in through his nose but it wasn't enough.

"Okay, ready," Brax said, and got a hold of the tape. "I'm sorry Thete, but this is going to hurt. One, two, three..."

He pulled on the tape, and it came away with a tearing sound, any hair under it being yanked out. The Doctor cried out as his mouth was freed, and then began to desperately take in more air with his chest heaving.

"Rose…" he gasped. "Kids…"

"Rose is fine, she is checking the tots," Brax told him, starting work on his arms and legs.

The Doctor's eyes flickered to his brother's right arm, which was being used to try and put as little pressure on it as possible.

"Arm," he rasped.

Brax looked at him, then at his own arm. "Yes, it's been a little bit broken, but we'll sort that out later," he said as Mickey returned. Gwen immediately put the mask on the Doctor's face and he gratefully inhaled the pure oxygen.

Brax finally got the tape off of his arms, glancing at Gwen as he started work on his legs. "How is his head?"

"I don't do medical but we've got to get him to Martha," Gwen told him, checking the Doctor's left eye for dilation. "I think he's concussed."

"Rose…" the Doctor gasped again, pulling off his mask weakly.

"Confirmed," Brax said simply, still cutting through the tape.

Gwen quickly put it back on again. "Doctor, you've got a concussion, you need to try and stay focused. Rose is fine, she's checking on the kids. Brax is going to get the last of the tape off of you then we'll take you to the medbay. Mickey, can you grab a stretcher?"

Mickey ran off immediately.

"But Rose…" the Doctor groaned, pulling it off again, clearly struggling to get up.

"She's fine, everyone's fine," Gwen told him patiently, holding it back to his mouth again. "Just relax."

"We're untaped," Brax said, pulling off the last of the tape as Mickey returned, getting out of breath now. "Mickey, could you take his arms?"

Mickey obliged, getting into position. Brax took his legs, wincing as he did so. The Doctor noticed.

"Brax..." he gasped beneath the mask. "Arm..."

"Don't you worry about me, Theta," Brax replied with a smile, lifting him up with Mickey. Together they placed him down on the stretcher, Gwen obediently following with the oxygen. "Get him to the infirmary," Brax said quickly, biting his tongue to stop himself crying out at the pain in his arm. "Thete, how are you bearing up?"

The Doctor didn't reply. He'd passed out.

"Quick," Brax said, and together he and Mickey ran to the medbay.

* * *

Brax had only been in the infirmary for ten minutes when Rose burst in, her eyes wide and terrified.

"Brax! BRAX!"

Brax looked up from Ianto. "Rose? What-"

"I can't find Alex!" she said desperately. "He's gone!"

Brax glanced at Martha, who nodded and took over from him.

"Have you called for him?"

"Of course I did!" she snapped back rudely. "He's nowhere!"

"Rose, calm down," Brax said immediately. "He most likely was very scared and hid somewhere. We will use the Tardis to find him."

"Okay," Rose said quickly, managing to calm herself down. "Sorry, I…"

"Do not worry yourself with apologies," Brax replied immediately. "Let's find him."

* * *

They ran to the TARDIS console room, Brax immediately commandeering the monitor. He tapped a few buttons, pulled a few levers, and frowned at the result the monitor gave him.

"He's not on the ship," Brax muttered.

"Then where is he!?"

Brax swallowed. He knew full well now what had happened to his nephew, but he allowed himself just to hope for few seconds.

"Check the Hub," he said shortly, and they both ran out into Torchwood.

"Alex!" Rose cried, cupping her hands to her mouth and running up to Jack's office. "Alex! It's Mum! It's okay, you can come out now!"

"Alex!" Brax yelled, diving in and out of rooms. "Alex!"

There was only silence.

"Oh my God they took him," Rose realised, trembling with tears in her eyes.

"I heard them take someone but I couldn't see them… No wonder. He's so small," Brax murmured.

"We've gotta go after 'em," Rose said immediately. "We've gotta get him back!"

"Rose," Brax said immediately, turning to her. "We can't run off without Thete."

"He can catch up!"

"It would be foolish to just run into this."

"Oh for god's sake, grow a pair!" she yelled back, her tears now rolling down her face. "My baby's gone!"

"Rose…"

"They could be doin' anythin' to him!"

"If they wanted him dead they would have killed him."

"They tried to kill Ianto!"

"Exactly, so even more reason for him to be well."

"How is that even a _little_ reassuring!?"

"Rose, I understand you are feeling very irate, but…"

"You have _no idea_ how 'irate' I am!" Rose screamed at him, and stormed into the TARDIS.

Brax quickly followed, but by the time he got to the Doctor and Rose's bedroom she was already packing for a substantial trip.

"Rose," Brax began desperately. "You can't just leave."

"What're you gonna do?" she challenged, throwing a few shirts into her backpack before hauling it over her shoulder, turning to face him.

"Please, Thete wouldn't want you to go."

"He'd want me to find our son! And how the hell do you know what he'd want, anyway!? You don't know _anythin_' about him, you haven't seen him for however many hundreds of years!" she snapped back, and pushed right past him, and past Martha hovering in the corridor.

"What…" Martha began, watching Rose march by.

"Martha, how is Thete?" Brax asked urgently.

"He's woken up," Martha replied, glancing nervously at Rose. "He wants to see Rose."

"Rose, he's awake!" Brax said quickly, running to catch up with her. "He wants to see you."

She stopped, looking at Brax.

"Please, before you do anything, just talk to him," Brax said, lowly and patiently.

Rose sighed, dropping her bag onto the floor and marching back past him into the infirmary.

The sight of the Doctor made her immediately ran forward to him, cupping his cheek as she snapped her head up to Brax. "Why didn't you _tell me_ this!?"

"I…" Brax began, but realised she was already ignoring him as the Doctor's eyes flickered open.

"Rose, stop yelling, I have a headache," he moaned, blood and bruises down the side of his face.

"No kiddin' you stupid idiot," she said seriously, kissing his forehead. "But those men, Doctor, they took Alex."

"Yes, me and half of Wales gathered," he replied, blinking rapidly a few times.

"Stop bloody _jokin_'!" she screamed, causing everyone to flinch. "Alex is _gone_!"

"She wants to leave to find him," Brax said quickly, stepping forward. "Those people were professionals, Thete."

"You don't care!" Rose yelled. "_Any_ of you!"

"That's unfair, of course we care," Brax said.

"He's my _baby_ and he's _gone_ and nobody _bloody_ cares!"

"Rose," the Doctor suddenly said quickly, resting his hands on her shoulders and consequently getting blood over her. "Remember, they took Alex and Jack. Wherever Jack is, Alex is too. Jack will take care of him. And Brax is right, those people were fully-equipped and had everything planned down to the last detail - they're powerful and well-organised and running straight into this isn't going to help Jack or Alex. Jack won't let me down. He'll look after Alex. Actually, Alex will probably look after him. Now…" He paused, frowning and dropping his hands. "... Wait, what was I saying?"

Martha quickly moved in. "He's very concussed," she told Rose, before looking at the Doctor. "Doctor, you need to rest."

"But I need to finish my painting," the Doctor said seriously.

Rose stared at him. The tears were still rolling down her face.

The Doctor smiled briefly, reaching up to wipe a few from her cheek. "Crying again," he said quietly, before dropping his arm again and spontaneously passing out.

"Oh God," she muttered, dropping her head into her hands.

"When we know what we are dealing with then we can go and save Jack and Alex," Brax said quietly, cutting through the atmosphere like a blunt knife. "Do not act with haste."

She sighed, her shoulders heaving.

"And I swear on Rassilon's crown that if they have done anything to him then I will respond in kind," Braxiatel finished softly.

She looked up at him through her fingers, and finally nodded.

"Okay," she muttered.

* * *

_**Next time...**_

_"Maghmar is black market, it's illegal, for a very good reason!" Brax yelled in his brother's face. "And look at the dosage you took!"_

_He reached up and pulled a stitch out of the Doctor's head. The Doctor yelped in pain, blocking his brother from doing it again. But the fresh wound was already healing, just like his head had._

_"You're already healing, your bruise has gone!" Brax shouted, jabbing him in the face. There was no longer a bruise under his eye. "You took a whole capful, didn't you!?"_

_The Doctor pulled back, glaring fiercely at Braxiatel. "Oh no, Brax!" he began insincerely. "Maybe the dosage will kill me!?"_

_Brax fell silent._


	8. 22nd May 2013, 06:56:40

**A/N:** Review reply now! Yay!

* * *

Chapter 7 - 22nd May 2013, 06:56:40

The Doctor's head felt like his brain had been exploded into a million tiny pieces which were currently floating around in his skull in a completely random formation. He'd since regained his sight in his left eye, although a little blurry, and now he was standing in the middle of Torchwood with several stitches in his head trying to comprehend what his wife was talking about.

"We need to scan, or somethin', or trace them or CCTV or somethin'!" she said at a million miles per hour.

"Yeah," the Doctor said redundantly, blinking a few times to try and straighten his vision out, but it was doing nothing. "Scan."

Brax looked at his brother sympathetically. "I think what Thete's trying to say is yes, we do need to scan, perhaps using Alex and Jack's biosignatures in a worldwide radius."

"We have their biosignatures, yeah?" Rose said quickly, looking pleadingly at the Doctor. "We've got 'em?"

The Doctor looked at her, blinking a few times. "Umm… Jack's, no. Alex, yes. Won't need… umm… no Jack. Immortal."

"What?" Rose asked blankly.

"Thete said yes, we've got Alex's but we've not got Jack's, but we won't need it because he's immortal and has a rather unique biosignature," Brax translated before finishing off with, "Thete, go and lie down."

"M'fine," the Doctor insisted.

"You're clearly not, go and lie down," Brax ordered.

"I'm fine!" the Doctor insisted, more pronounced.

"What is 534 times 24?"

The Doctor paused, before looking at Brax with a furrowed brow. "A headache."

Brax sighed. "Gwen, take him to bed."

"I can take myself... Not an idiot," the Doctor replied, annoyed.

"You could have fooled me," Brax replied, pushing him in the direction of the TARDIS. Reluctantly the Doctor left, trudging back into the TARDIS.

He didn't go to bed - instead he went to the infirmary, straight to the medicines cupboard. He rooted around for a few silent minutes, hoping and praying…

"Yes," he chimed quietly so as not to aggravate his head, pulling out a bottle filled with pink liquid labelled, '**MAGHMAR**'. He popped the lid, poured a cup full and downed it all in one. He winced, pulling a face, and slowly but surely his headache began to recede, his thoughts becoming a lot clearer.

"Mmm, fff," he tried out loud, shaping his mouth. "Ahhh. Ooo. Good morning, absolute pleasure to meet you! Spiffing! Dandy! Antidisestablishmentarianism! Roast beef!"

He grinned and put the medicine back, hiding it out of sight. He then jumped to his feet and skipped out the door, and almost trip over one of Alex's toys on the floor.

He stopped dead, all of the happiness immediately evaporating from him. He stooped and picked it up, gazing at it for a long while. It was a stuffed toy dinosaur - a Aegyptosaurus, to be precise.

Prior to getting it, the Doctor had noticed Alex was spending a lot of time playing with his Tyrannosaurus Rex toy and wandering around Torchwood trying to find Myfanwy the Pteranodon, but Myfanwy had always steered clear of him. Alex would get very upset that Myfanwy didn't want to play with him like she did with Leah.

So in an effort to try and get him to open up, the Doctor had taken Alex back in time to the dinosaurs to see them for real. It had turned out to be a very good idea. The Doctor had never seen him so emotive. He'd taken a particular liking to the Aegyptosaurus, so the Doctor had called ahead to Jack.

When the Doctor and Alex arrived back at Torchwood, Jack had searched over the entirety of Earth to find a toy Aegyptosaurus, and had it wrapped up and ready for Alex. The boy had been over the moon. He'd refused to put it down for a month.

Now here it was, all alone in a corridor. Alex was gone. Stolen. Stolen from their own home.

Jack would take care of him.

The Doctor sighed, swallowed, and put the toy into his pocket before moving back down the corridor. He passed the nursery where Kiana was sleeping like a baby, and then reached Leah's room. He rapidly decided to look in.

He found her sitting up on her bed, hugging her toy rabbit.

"Hey," he said gently, moving forward. "Thought you were asleep. You okay?"

"I'm scared," she said quietly.

The Doctor sat on the bed next to her. "Don't be scared."

"What if they come again, Daddy?"

"They won't. I promise. I'm going to up Torchwood's security so we're completely safe," he assured her. "Triple deadlock seals."

"I don't wanna be taken," she said, and started to cry.

"You're not going to be taken, I'm never letting that happen," the Doctor said quickly, picking her up to sit her on his lap, hugging her tightly. "Not you too. Nothing is ever going to happen to you. Because I'm your daddy, and you know what daddies do?"

"Scoff biscuits when mummy's not looking?"

"Oi!" he said, laughing. "Yeah, we do that, and don't tell your mother, but you know what else we do?"

"What?"

"We worry," he said softly. "We worry a _lot_. You always say I worry. I worry so you don't need to worry. Y'know, after you were born, after you'd done the rounds and everyone had seen your beautiful little face... I held you in my arms and made a solemn promise to you that you would never have to be scared. Don't be scared, because I'll do that for you. Nothing is ever, ever going to take you from me. I promise. Unless you want to run off with a boy, of course."

"Eww, boys," she said, giggling a little as she wiped at her eyes.

"Exactly. Keep thinking that way," he encouraged, grinning.

"Can I help find Alex and Uncle Jack?" she asked, looking up at him with teary eyes.

"Of course you can," the Doctor said, kissing her again. "Go brush your teeth and I'll find you some clothes."

* * *

The Doctor and Leah arrived in Torchwood ten minutes later, the girl still hugging Floppy under one arm with her other hand in her dad's.

"That was quick," Brax said seriously, gazing at the Doctor.

"I'm fine," the Doctor replied. "Let's find Alex and Jack."

Brax didn't look convinced. "What did you do?"

"Nothing."

Leah suddenly tugged on the Doctor's hand, and he looked down to her.

She looked back up at him with wide eyes. "Is Alex okay?" she asked quietly.

The Doctor nodded, dropping to her. "He's going to be fine. Uncle Jack is going to look after him for us. I just want you to stay near me, okay? Stay with me. Or anyone. Near me, Mum, Uncle Brax - anyone. Don't go anywhere on your own, okay?"

She nodded.

"Good girl," he finished, kissing her and hugging her tightly.

"Doctor," Mickey suddenly said from his desk. The Doctor straightened up, scooping up his daughter and sitting her on Mickey's desk as he reached it. "It's the news."

The tone in his voice was enough to make everyone gather at Mickey's desk, where he had the BBC News website up on his computer.

**56 WORLDWIDE ABDUCTIONS - UN TO MAKE A STATEMENT**

"Fifty-six people reported abducted or gone missing at the exact same time," Mickey said, gesturing to the screen. "And we're not just talkin' Wales, this is the whole world."

The Doctor leant in. "Get me a list of names and locations."

"No need, it's here," Mickey said, clicking onto the BBC News site. "Fifty-six names and places."

The Doctor took over the mouse, scrolling down through the names. There they were, Alex Tyler and Jack Harkness.

"How can they know that?" Martha asked, frowning.

"Somebody told them well in advance," the Doctor muttered. "This was a pre-prepared report."

"But what does that mean?" Rose asked.

"It means whoever took them is _extremely_ well organised," Brax said quietly.

"They organise fifty-six separate abductions at the exact same moment worldwide and get a comprehensive list of names and locations to the press in time for the morning news?" the Doctor pointed out. "This isn't organisation, this is plain showing off."

"Hold on," Rose said quickly, pointing at a name on the screen.

**Luke Smith, Ealing**

The Doctor's eyes widened. "Phone Sarah," he said, and Rose quickly pulled out her phone, dialling for Sarah.

"Sarah," Rose said almost immediately. "Where's Luke? … Yeah, we just read it on the news site… They took Jack and Alex too, just stormed right in here…"

"Let me talk to her," the Doctor said quickly, holding out a hand. Rose quickly handed him the phone. "Sarah, it's me… No, I don't, but we'll find out… I'll come and pick you up. Don't go anywhere… Okay, see you in a minute."

He hung up and gave the phone back to Rose, turning to Torchwood.

"Okay, we need to organise too," the Doctor began, clasping his hands together. "We need to find out as much about the abductees as possible. Gwen, can you do a police check on them? Biographies, please. Find out if there's anything interesting."

"No problem," she confirmed.

"Mickey, we need to find out who those people were and how much power they have. Dig as much as you can on how that story got on the news," the Doctor continued.

"Yep," he confirmed.

"Brax, could you start trying to track Jack and Alex's biosignatures? Use the Tardis after I've got Sarah."

Brax nodded, still gazing at him.

"Martha, keep by Ianto."

"Of course," Martha responded, nodding.

"Rose," he continued, turning to her. "You're monitoring the news. Any more developments on the story let everyone know. And if anyone needs any help, lend a hand."

She nodded.

The Doctor turned to leave… before suddenly stopping and turning back around again. "Sorry… is everyone okay with me being Jack and facilitating?"

"Yep," Gwen approved.

"Go ahead," Brax said, gesturing his hand.

"Working pretty well so far," Martha added.

"Frankly it's better," Mickey said seriously.

"Okay, I'm going to get Sarah, back in a minute," he said, and jogged to the TARDIS.

"I'm going with him," Brax said shortly, and rushed off after his brother.

* * *

The Doctor was already programming the TARDIS when Brax got there. The Doctor looked up, saw him, and looked down again.

"Stay here, look after Rose and Leah. Start locking down the Hub," he ordered, tapping at the console.

Brax ignored him. "Have you taken what I think you've taken?"

"You know what I've taken," the Doctor replied shortly, and changed the subject. "Please look after my family."

"You've taken Maghmar."

"Yes, I have."

Brax rounded on him immediately, pushing him away from the console. "In the name of Rassilon _why_ would you take Maghmar? Why do you even _have_ Maghmar? Do you _know_ what you've done, Theta!?"

"Of course I know what I've done!" the Doctor snapped back. "I needed a quick fix and I found it, what's your problem?"

"Maghmar is black market, it's illegal, for a very good reason!" Brax yelled in his brother's face. "And look at the dosage you took!"

He reached up and pulled a stitch out of the Doctor's head. The Doctor yelped in pain, blocking his brother from doing it again. But the fresh wound was already healing, just like his head had.

"You're already healing, your bruise has gone!" Brax shouted, jabbing him in the face. There was no longer a bruise under his eye. "You took a whole capful, didn't you!?"

The Doctor pulled back, glaring fiercely at Braxiatel. "Oh no, Brax!" he began insincerely. "Maybe the dosage will _kill me!?"_

Brax fell silent.

The Doctor turned to the console to continue programming.

"... It's addictive," Brax said quietly.

"It's irrelevant," the Doctor replied shortly.

"I cannot believe you did that. Even if you are already dying, why would you take it? You know what Maghmar does. It's not just lethal. It's maddening. It's decaying."

"Stop worrying," the Doctor fobbed off. "I know what I'm doing."

That made Brax angry. "I don't think you do!" Brax was shouting again, wanting to shake his brother hard. "You stupid, _stupid_ boy!"

"... You sound exactly like him."

"What?" Brax asked, wrong-footed.

"Like father."

Brax stared. "No, I do not."

"Yes, you do!" the Doctor shot back.

There was an awful, long, awkward pause before Brax swallowed, taking a moment to calm himself down before leaning forward and resting his hand on his brother's shoulder. "Forgive me. But Maghmar is dangerous. You know that. Look, just tell me where it is, then I can dispose of it and there is no chance you might take another dose."

The Doctor sighed, annoyed. "I'm _not_ going to take another dose."

Brax let go of him, closing his eyes for a brief moment before opening them again. "Thete, you are all I have. I just… I need to look after you. Let me look after you."

"I'm not a child anymore, Brax."

"I know, I know that Thete, but you're still my little brother and this is… This is painful, Theta," Brax said, his voice beginning to waver. "Don't think I'm comfortable with this. I wish you could regenerate right now, just so I didn't have to watch you go through this. But I know that's not a possibility. So just let me worry a little about you. It is my duty. I am your older brother. And I'm asking you not to take black market drugs."

"Can you leave now, please?" the Doctor said sharply.

Brax faltered. "I am trying to help, Theta."

"Well you're not, so just leave me alone. If you really can't grasp that I might not take another dose, it's in the medicine cupboard in the infirmary, at the back."

"Thank you," Brax said shortly. "And I did not say you would. Now go and get your friend. I will take care of your family."

"Bye," the Doctor grunted, and turned back to the console. Brax gazed at him for a moment, before leaving.

* * *

The TARDIS disappeared the instant Brax stepped out of it. Rose met him immediately, frowning.

"Were you two arguing?" she asked.

Brax couldn't lie. The shouting had probably been loud enough. "Yes."

"What about?"

"Oh, nothing important, he's just being his usual stubborn self," Brax dismissed. "Right, I need to strengthen our defences. Is there a terminal somewhere?"

"Over there," Gwen said, gesturing to a computer. Brax left to get on with his assigned job.

* * *

**A/N: _Next_**_** time...**_

_The device around her neck suddenly lit up. The Doctor immediately dived forward to get it off. The moment he touched her he cried out and was immediately launched backwards five feet, slamming into the metal floor. The high-pitched buzzing increased, and with a final scream the girl was gone - completely disintegrated._

_"Doctor!" Rose cried as she ran to him, getting there just in time for him to push himself to sit up, staring at the space the girl had been. Gwen was already on the case, picking up the envelope and quickly closing the Hub door. It locked into place, and suddenly there was silence._

_"Mind control," the Doctor muttered, still staring. "That was mind control. It was him. I felt him."_

_"Who?" Rose asked quickly, helping him to his feet._

_"The Master," the Doctor muttered. "Completely inside her head…"_


	9. 22nd May 2013, 07:03:55

**A/N: **Muahahaha. That is all.

* * *

Chapter 8 - 22nd May 2013, 07:03:55

The Doctor landed in Ealing at the end of Sarah Jane's road. For quite a few minutes he just stood at the console, trying to calm himself down. The now far too familiar feeling of fire coursing through his blood was as potent as ever.

Finally he managed to calm himself enough to roll back his shoulders and straighten up, ready to meet Sarah Jane. He grabbed his coat, pulled it on, and stepped out of the TARDIS onto the pavement. Then he was off, striding quickly to Sarah's house.

He hadn't even connected his thumb with the doorbell before it flew open and Sarah's hand shot out, pulling him inside with a yank.

"Whoa, Sarah?" the Doctor asked in alarm as she slammed the door shut and dived to the curtains to peek through. They were drawn completely across.

"What are you _doing_, you could've landed in my back garden!" she snapped, clearly extremely agitated.

"What's wrong?"

She turned to him. "You don't know?"

"Know what?"

"The press are hounding all of the people associated with the abductees," she said quickly, pointing at her TV where BBC News 24 was on.

"So?" the Doctor asked, hands in his pockets.

"They've gone by the house five times already this morning," Sarah said, peeking out through the curtains again. "I don't think they've got a proper address for me."

"Then let's get to Torchwood," the Doctor said. "We're locking down, it'll be safe there."

"Okay," Sarah said, rushing into the kitchen before emerging with a suitcase. "I'm packed," she said, offering a small smile.

"Good," the Doctor replied, and opened the front door. "Slow, calm steps."

Sarah nodded. The Doctor took her bag for her as they emerged out of the front door. The world seemed mundane enough, so the Doctor advanced as Sarah quickly locked the door.

Within seconds there was the sound of a van turning onto the street, and Sarah quickly grabbed his coat, pulling him behind the bushes. Seconds later a rickety old van drove past, cameras pointing out of the windows.

"I can't believe I'm hiding from journalists," the Doctor said seriously, getting up again as the van disappeared around the corner.

"You'll thank me later," Sarah assured him, and jogged off down the road to the TARDIS. He quickly followed, and together they got inside without anyone seeing them. The Doctor commenced programming immediately.

"So what's your situation?" Sarah asked.

"They stormed in this morning, took Jack and Alex and shot Ianto," the Doctor said.

"Shot Ianto?" Sarah asked quickly.

"He's okay, he's in the infirmary, stable," the Doctor assured her as the time rotor began to pump. "How did they take Luke?"

"We were asleep, I suddenly hear the front door opening, I walk out and there's four men dressed in black with guns," Sarah told him quietly. "They yelled at me to get in the corner, then I heard Luke crying out. He was dragged away, right in front of me. They stayed there until just before seven. I was just about to call you when you called me."

"They stayed with you?" the Doctor asked, frowning.

"I don't think they wanted me to contact anyone," Sarah said. "They kept talking about keeping any technology away from me."

The Doctor looked at her, his brow furrowed. "I don't think they wanted you to contact me."

"That's what I thought," Sarah said, and fell silent, swallowing nervously before speaking again. "... Do you know where they are, Doctor? Luke and the others?"

"No idea, but we'll find them," the Doctor answered, just as the console started beeping a frenzy of alerts. The Doctor frowned, looked down at the readout, and then sighed heavily.

"I don't believe this," he muttered, pulling out his phone and holding it to his ear. "Rose? Yes, could you tell Braxiatel that it's lovely he's got the defences working but I can't actually get in? … What? … Oh for… Okay, I'll walk down. Can he at least get the front door open? … Okay, see you in a minute."

The Doctor hung up, hitting a final button before the TARDIS landed with her customary jolt.

"Stay here, back in a minute, I need to get the TARDIS inside Torchwood, and Braxiatel's maximised and locked all the defences," the Doctor said. Sarah nodded, smiling a little at his exasperated expression.

"I'll be right here," she replied, taking a seat.

The Doctor stepped out onto the plass, adjusting his coat again. He closed the door behind him, took ten strides, and suddenly was completely amassed by a crowd of microphones and cameras.

"Are you Alex Tyler's father!?"

"We understand you're associated with Jack Harkness, can you comment on his disappearance!?"

"Is there anything you'd like to say to the abductors, Mr Tyler!?"

"We understand there was gunfire, was anybody injured!?"

"Where's your wife, Rose!? Can she comment on the abduction!?"

The Doctor had no idea what to say, and he couldn't get through. "I…" he paused, trying to think of some words.

Gwen suddenly appeared, diving in front of him. "Mr Tyler is obviously very distraught at the abduction of his one-year-old son, Alex Tyler, and his friend, Jack Harkness. South Wales Police are currently working around the clock to find them. All Mr Tyler asks the abductors is that Alex and Jack are kept safe and returned home soon. Obviously this is a very difficult time forthe family and we ask for discretion. Thank you."

She took the Doctor's arm and pulled him away, just as the reporters started up again, yelling questions. Gwen quickly lead him away, down the slope and into the shop.

"Thanks, Gwen," the Doctor said seriously as they stepped into the Hub.

"No problem," Gwen assured him.

"What happened?" Rose asked, bounding up to them.

"The press," Gwen replied.

"The press?"

"Asking after Jack and Alex."

"But how can they know that we've got anythin' to do with them?" Rose asked, looking at the Doctor. "I mean, Alex doesn't even have a birth certificate…"

"There's something bigger going on here," the Doctor muttered. "All the names and locations to the press, the fact the press know where we are and what we look like… But for what reason?"

"They're blowing your cover," Mickey pointed out from across the Hub. "Everyone's gonna see your face on the six o'clock news."

"Good point."

"Oh God," Rose said suddenly, glancing around at them all. "Y'know what that means? They already know your face, how long until someone realises you're…"

"Not human," the Doctor completed.

There was a long pause.

"No one go outside," Gwen said quickly. "Chances are if they know the Doctor they'll know us too."

"We need to get the TARDIS," the Doctor said quickly. "Sarah and Ianto are in there."

"Use the lift," Gwen suggested. "I'll distract them on the other side of the Plass, you run and get the TARDIS."

"We need the defences down," the Doctor said, looking at Brax who was sitting at the defence terminal, hands in the air.

Brax pulled a face. "I have no idea what I'm doing."

The Doctor moved over to him immediately, tapping three buttons before there came the sound of something powering down.

Brax blinked. "How did you…"

"I'll hold them off, go!" Gwen said, moving out of the rolling door as the Doctor bounded to the lift. Rose joined him, grabbing him around the waist to steady herself as the lift began to ascend.

They emerged out onto the plass, a crowd of people at the other end. They bounded to the TARDIS, diving in and slamming the door behind them.

"The press are here," the Doctor told Sarah, moving straight to the console.

Sarah stood up immediately. "Did they see you?"

"That and more," the Doctor replied as the TARDIS began to churn.

"Sarah," Rose said quickly, moving to her. "They took Luke?"

Sarah nodded. "They took Alex?"

"Yeah," Rose croaked, looking as though she might burst into tears. Sarah quickly drew her into a hug.

"How old is Alex now?"

"He's just a year, he's only a baby," Rose muttered, grateful for the hug.

Sarah sighed. "Why would they take a baby?"

"I don't know," Rose sobbed.

The TARDIS landed, and the Doctor turned to them both.

"Hey. Remember they took Jack too. Jack knows Luke. He'll look after them - both of them - until we can get there," he told them, wrapping his arms around them both. "I never thought I'd say this, but I believe in Jack."

Rose and Sarah nodded in sync.

"Now come on, let's find them."

* * *

"Okay Brax, lockdown," the Doctor announced as he, Rose and Sarah stepped out of the TARDIS into the Hub. He was instantly confronted by Jackie, seemingly appearing from absolutely nowhere lugging along a travel case that was even bigger than her.

"Doctor, what's goin' on!?" she demanded to know. "Alex has been taken!?"

"Sorry," Rose said quickly, out of the side of her mouth to him. "Thought I should get Mum here too."

He nodded. "Jackie, find a room in the TARDIS."

"What?"

"We're going into total lockdown, no one enters and no one leaves. Everyone's staying here for protection."

For once, Jackie didn't argue. She was just staring at his face. A face which quickly told her how serious the situation was. "Okay," she said, looking behind her to take Tony's hand.

The Doctor raised an eyebrow as she left. "That was easy," he mused, and then dived into action. "Mickey, got anything for me?"

Mickey looked up from his computer, frowning. "I can't get any info on it. I mean, nothing. There's no named source for the release to the press. Nobody seems to know how it got there. I can't get anythin' on the people that came in. Whoever they are, they've covered up pretty damn well."

The Doctor breathed a sigh through gritted teeth, before nodding. "Okay. Thanks. Let me know if you get any further." He turned to Rose. "Any developments?"

"No," she replied. "It's loopin' the same news item on TV."

The Doctor nodded again, then turned in the direction of his brother. "Brax, have you sorted the defences yet?"

"Working on it!" Brax shouted back, looking a little flustered.

"Okay, get up, trace Alex and Jack's biosignatures," the Doctor said, practically pushing him out of the seat. Brax resigned to it immediately and jogged into the TARDIS as the Doctor quickly tapped at the keyboard. "Gwen, are you back in?"

"Present!" she yelled from her chair.

Almost immediately the sounds of something powering up and clunking into place reverberated around the Hub. He then jumped up and ran to Gwen's terminal. "Gwen, got anything?"

"... I don't know," Gwen confessed, handing him some printouts. "I can't find any sort of correlation but the biographies of the abductees is strange. It's like they abducted… Well, I can't think of a better description, but every interesting person in the world."

"What?" the Doctor asked, studying the paper.

"Well, you've got Clint Mendoza… He's an American actor, 34-years-old," she added at the Doctor's blank expression. "He's just been voted FHM's sexiest man in the world. Then you've got Aray Sealy, he's a Jamaican who just won the London Marathon. He's 24. Then there's Erik Babanin, 49, ranked the number one chess player in the world. Then Grimur Helgusun, 27, World's Strongest Man…"

"What about these ones?" the Doctor asked, pointed at the bottom of the list of names which didn't seem to be filled out with any details.

"This is what I don't understand," Gwen confessed. "Take Asha Fall, 32, she's from a poor family in Malawi. There doesn't seem to be anything on her. She lived on a farm with seven children and a husband."

The Doctor gazed at the piece of paper for a moment, unblinking…

"Oh yes!" he suddenly cried, startling everyone in the room. "Got it!"

"Got what?" Rose asked quickly, moving beside him.

"Well what's interesting about Jack?" the Doctor prompted.

"He's immortal?" Mickey ventured.

"Exactly. And Luke is smart. He's probably got more facts in his head than a Fifteen to One Grand Champion," the Doctor continued. "He's one of the smartest people in the world, I'll assume. So, Luke's one of the smartest people in the world; Jack's the only immortal in the world; Clint Mendoza's the best looking man in the world; Aray Sealy is the best long distance runner in the world, probably got an exceptional pair of lungs. Erik is the best chess player in the world, his logical thinking must be unbeatable…. Get it?"

"Oh my god," Rose realised, hand over her mouth.

"Exactly," the Doctor said. "They're the best bits of a human mind and physique. Put them all together and you'd have the ultimate body. Somebody's building a body."

"But what about Asha?" Sarah asked, frowning.

The Doctor shrugged. "Something must be particularly special about her... Something that isn't immediately obvious."

"And Alex?" Rose prompted.

The Doctor bit his lip, his brow furrowing. "I'm not sure."

"Maybe cos he's alien?" Mickey suggested. "Regeneration."

The Doctor shook his head. "If they wanted alien they'd have taken Brax. Besides, why would you want to regenerate if you're immortal?"

"Oh yeah," Mickey muttered.

Then there was a knock.

Everyone looked up immediately, and then at the Doctor who was staring at the Hub door. He quickly put down the paper and gestured for Gwen to follow him. She did, picking up her gun on the way.

They reached the monitor, and Gwen gasped at the person it showed outside.

"Who is it?" Rose asked nervously.

"It's a girl," the Doctor said quietly.

"What?" Rose asked, astounded.

"I'm opening the door," the Doctor announced, and stepped forward to the keypad.

"No, don't," Gwen muttered, but the Doctor ignored her and with a clunk and a hiss the door rolled back to reveal a young woman, probably no more than twenty, standing there in ripped clothes. Her face was bruised and cut, her hair matted. There was a strange metal device around her neck, the lights flashing periodically. There was sort of emptiness in her eyes that the Doctor had seen so many times before. The blank emotionless mind controlled eyes. In her hands she held a single white envelope.

"Are you the Doctor?" she asked in monotone voice, staring right through him.

"Yes, that's me," the Doctor replied, gazing at her.

"This is to be delivered to you," she said, and held out the envelope to him.

The Doctor didn't take it. "What's your name?" he asked gently.

"This is to be delivered to you," she repeated in that same monotone voice, still holding out the envelope.

"Let me help you," the Doctor asked softly. "What's your name?"

"This is to be delivered to you," she repeated for a third time.

"You're under some sort of hypnotic influence," the Doctor said slowly and clearly, reaching out tentatively. "Let me into your mind I can help you fight it."

"This is to be delivered to you."

He ignored her, and touched her head. Within seconds the girl let out a horrific, _bloodcurdling_ scream which nearly shattered the Doctor's ear drums. She twisted away, still screaming, dropping the envelope onto the floor.

"No, no, no!" she shouted, gazing at the Doctor with wide, terrified eyes. "Please don't kill me! Please don't…"

The device around her neck suddenly lit up. The Doctor immediately dived forward to get it off. The moment he touched her he cried out and was immediately launched backwards five feet, slamming into the metal floor. The high-pitched buzzing increased, and with a final scream the girl was gone - completely disintegrated.

"Doctor!" Rose cried as she ran to him, getting there just in time for him to push himself to sit up, staring at the space the girl had been. Gwen was already on the case, picking up the envelope and quickly closing the Hub door. It locked into place, and suddenly there was silence.

"Mind control," the Doctor muttered, still staring. "That was mind control. It was him. I felt him."

"Who?" Rose asked quickly, helping him to his feet.

"The Master," the Doctor muttered. "Completely inside her head…"

"It was him, wasn't it!" Mickey realised. "He's taken the fifty-six people!"

The Doctor's brow furrowed. "I don't think so."

"He wants to build himself a new body," Mickey persisted.

"It makes sense," Rose agreed, looking at her husband.

"No, it doesn't make sense," the Doctor replied immediately. "He doesn't need a new body. Why would he need a new body? Especially a _human_ body? That's not his style."

Rose faltered, swallowing. "... Yeah. You're right."

"So what was he doing in her head?" Sarah asked.

"He's workin' with someone," Mickey continued.

"The Master doesn't work with people," the Doctor countered.

"Then what the hell just happened?" Rose asked seriously.

"I have no idea," he murmured… before suddenly looking up, alarmed. "Leah!? Kiana!"

Rose's eyes shot open. "Leah! Kiana!"

"She went into the TARDIS with Jackie," Gwen said, handing him the envelope. "Kiana's asleep in the nursery, you know that. Calm down."

The Doctor relaxed, his shoulders sagging. "Okay." He ripped open the envelope, pulled out a single piece of paper and read the two words on the page.

"Everyone, stop what you're doing!" he ordered immediately, and ran to the TARDIS to stick his head in the door. "Brax, stop checking their bio signatures!"

"What? Why?" Brax asked, popping his head out of the door as the Doctor ran over to Mickey.

"Mickey, turn off the computer, stop doing it!"

"Okay," Mickey answered quickly, hitting the power button. "Doctor?"

"Thete?" Brax asked, jogging to him. "I was just detecting a trace of their biosignatures. I am about to find them."

"Nobody do _anything_, don't investigate, don't do anything," the Doctor said quickly, handing the piece of paper to his brother. "And _especially_ not you," he directed at Brax.

"Do nothing," Brax read out loud from the page. He looked up at his frantic brother, his eyebrow raised. "Thete? You're not going to actually pay attention are you?" he asked as Rose dived in to read the message.

**Do nothing.**

"They've got my son, Sarah's son, my best friend and fifty-three other innocent people, I'm playing by their rules," the Doctor explained.

Rose nodded quickly. "Everyone stop!"

"We can't do nothin'!" Mickey said seriously.

"Sorry," the Doctor replied shortly.

"So what we just sit here?" Gwen asked, frowning.

"Yep."

"But we can't," Sarah said weakly.

"If you've got a better idea you're welcome to share, but I'm not making this person angry," the Doctor explained, his eyes a little wide. "If they're organised enough to abduct fifty six people at the same time around the world then they're going to know when they're searched on Google. I trust Jack and he'd die twenty times over to protect Luke and Alex but even he can't defend them if they're directly targeted because of us sticking our noses in too deeply. And look at what they did to that poor girl." He gestured to the door. "I'm not risking that happening to anyone else."

"So what do we do?" Brax asked.

"Wait."

"They'll contact us again, yeah?" Rose asked the Doctor, holding onto his arm.

"No doubt."

"With a ransom or something," she supposed. "What do we do then? We don't have any money… Would they want money? Is this even a ransom?"

"I don't know, but we'll do whatever it takes, okay?"

"Okay," Rose breathed.

The Doctor looked at Sarah. "Okay?" he repeated.

Sarah nodded silently.

"Good. Let's just make sure we're completely locked down and comfortable. Everyone can have a room in the TARDIS. We keep an eye on each other, we look after each other, and we wait."

* * *

**A/N: _Next time..._**

_Immediately he launched forward, grabbing her around the neck. His eyes had turned, those unfamiliar bright blue eyes somehow now as black as night in a matter of nanoseconds._

_"I will do what I wish and you will accept it, good little human."_

_His words left a bitter tang in the air around them, but she wasn't taking this. She grabbed the Doctor's hand, yanking it away forcefully. "The old you would never have done this!"_

_"The old me was a pathetic, gibbering idiot," he spat, like acid. "This is new me. Get used to it, my dear."_

_"He was far better than you!" she yelled in his face._

_"Do I somehow care about your stupid inferior human opinion?" His eyes narrowed to slits. "I am far superior to you. I am a Time Lord; the most glorious species ever to wander the universe. What I say goes and you, human, need to learn to start bowing."_


	10. 22nd May 2013, 17:57:12

**A/N:** Scene in the middle with badass Doctor written courtesy of Shoyzz's ideas brain. We like brains. Braaainz.

There's also a tiny bit of smut some way down the page too. It just happened, I swear.

* * *

Chapter 9 - 22nd May 2013, 17:57:12

"This is insane."

The Doctor looked at his wife, who was sitting next to him on the sofa staring blankly at the television screen ahead of her. He didn't need to ask her what was insane. He knew full well.

"Alex and Luke and Jack are gone and all we're doing is sittin' here watching TV," she continued quietly.

"There's nothing else we can do," the Doctor said gently.

"I know, I know," Rose muttered, hugging herself.

"It's up to Jack, now."

"I know," she choked out, and suddenly began to cry again.

"Four times in three days?" the Doctor said, pulling her into a hug. "New record."

"I'm s-sorry," she sobbed, hugging him tightly.

"Rose…" he began slowly, pushing her back to look him in the eye. "Are you _sure _Jimmy didn't do anything to you?"

"I told you, no he d-didn't," she answered quietly.

"Look me in the eye and tell me he didn't do anything," he said seriously.

She looked him straight in the eye, sniffing. "I swear on our k-kids' lives that he didn't do anythin', yeah? I'd t-tell you, I promise I'd t-tell you."

He sighed, kissing her forehead. "Okay, I believe you. But this isn't very you."

"I know," she whined. "My time of the m-month."

"Oh," the Doctor muttered, before frowning slightly. "What?"

"You know, m-my period. I'm due any day now."

"Oh," he said again, somewhat blankly.

"You have n-no idea what I'm t-talkin' about do ya?"

"No," he replied honestly.

She sighed, rolling her eyes with a small smile. "You know all those long yellow packets in the bathroom, the things with the st-strings?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you ever wonder what I do with them?"

"They're not a make up thing?"

She snorted with laughter. "No. They soak up all my blood."

"Blood!? Where are you bleeding?"

Rose laughed at his panicked expression. "How can you not know about periods? You've had a lot of human woman in here, yeah? Sarah must've used 'em."

"I don't think I want to have this conversation," the Doctor realised, pulling a face.

She rolled her eyes. "I can't believe you've never heard of a period!"

"It's a full stop at the end of a sentence in the United States of America, isn't it?" he asked, grinning slightly.

Rose immediately realised. "You _do _know what a period is!"

"Of course I do," the Doctor replied, still grinning. "When you were pregnant with Leah I read every human biology book back to front."

"You're such a… a… ugh!" Rose exclaimed, hitting him on the arm.

"Yeah, but you've stopped crying," he pointed out.

She sighed, and hit him again.

"Ow! What was that for?" he asked indignantly, rubbing his arm.

"For being so bloody… perfect!"

"Right, I'll stop then," he replied, that grin returning. "I'll be average from now on."

She sighed again, before pulling him into a hug and kissing him deeply. "God, this isn't fair," she whined, dropping her head onto his chest. "Everything's so messed up and we can't do anythin'."

"I know," he muttered.

"Thete!" Brax suddenly said from the doorway with Sarah next to him, interrupting. "Have you seen the news?"

The Doctor looked up immediately, before retrieving the remote from a crevice in the sofa and switching to the BBC One six o'clock news as Brax and Sarah took seats on the sofa next to them.

The Doctor's own face stared back at him, looking very confused.

_"... One-year-old son, Alex Tyler, and his friend, Jack Harkness," _Gwen was saying. _"South Wales Police are currently working around the clock to find them. All Mr Tyler asks the abductors is that Alex and Jack are kept safe and returned home soon. Thank you."_

_"So far there have been no developments on where the abductees have been taken," _the reporter continued over a mosaic of photographs of the abducted people. _"In the wake of the UN's statement police forces around the world are on high alert. For now all the families of the abducted can do is wait. John Forringer, BBC News."_

"I'm famous," the Doctor muttered, staring at the TV. "This isn't good."

"We just need to avoid the press," Rose said decisively.

"That's easier said than done," Sarah Jane pointed out. "I should know."

"Then we don't go outside," Rose said, swallowing before dropping her head into her hands. "Oh god," she muttered, and looked back up sharply again. "Where's Leah?"

"Her room," Brax told her.

Rose pecked a kiss to the Doctor before standing up, brushing herself down. "I'm gonna go play with her."

She left quickly.

The Doctor sighed, running a hand through his hair as he looked up at the others. "This is hard on her."

"I am not surprised," Brax replied simply.

"She's a mother who's lost her child," Sarah said. "Of course she's a little lost."

"So are you," the Doctor pointed out.

"Luke is nearly an adult. He's very clever and I have no doubt he'll be okay. Alex… is just a baby, Doctor. I'm surprised you aren't the same as her."

"Me being panicked isn't going to help anyone," the Doctor told her quietly, avoiding her eyes by staring at the floor. "Especially not Alex. I trust Jack. I have to trust Jack."

Sarah gazed at him for a moment, glancing at Brax. Brax took the hint.

"I'll check everyone's fairing well," he said, and dashed out of the door.

Sarah dropped to sit next to the Doctor. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," he mumbled.

She gazed at him for a moment. "It's okay to freak out. You've got a lot on your mind."

He looked up at her under heavy eyelids. "You know?"

She nodded.

"Who told you?"

She half-smiled at that. "I'm a journalist and Jackie was desperate to tell someone. Don't worry, I'll keep it to myself."

He nodded. "Thank you."

She drew him into a hug, which he accepted gratefully.

"Doctor," Martha suddenly interrupted from the doorway, and they both looked up. "Ianto's woken up."

* * *

The Doctor walked into the infirmary to find Ianto lying there attached to several machines, his eyes half closed. However, the moment he saw the Doctor he offered a brief smile.

"Hello, Yan," the Doctor said, dropping in the seat next to the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Terrible," Ianto replied honestly. "Is it true?"

"What?"

"Jack, Alex and Luke are gone."

The Doctor nodded solemnly. "Afraid so. But you know Jack, he can handle himself."

"I'm not worried… about... about him," Ianto murmured.

The Doctor gave a small smile. "Thank you for protecting my son."

"I... could've done... it better, sir."

"You did what you could. I thank you."

Ianto nodded. "Have you... found them, yet?"

"No. We've been warned off. I don't want to anger them. I trust Jack to look after the kids."

"If I can… can help…"

"You can help by lying here and getting better," the Doctor told him seriously. "We'll need you later."

Ianto nodded again, and closed his eyes. The Doctor got up, looking at Martha and offering a small smile before leaving.

He ended up in Kiana's room, the little baby clearly awake and giggling randomly to herself. He scooped up the girl, holding her close.

"Hello. Don't you go missing on me too."

Kiana wriggled in his arms.

"I think your dad's doing something a bit out of his depth. Total mind control? He hasn't done that for centuries."

She wriggled some more, nearly falling out of his arms.

"Not sure why he'd want to either. Then again he's very unpredictable. Still don't know why he'd want to build a body though. Especially a human one. But you won't be like him. Promise."

She continued to wriggle.

"You're really not warming to me are you?" the Doctor muttered, struggling to keep a hold on her. "Got a lot of dad in you I guess. You like Jack though, don't you?"

Kiana wriggled some more, yawning widely as she did so.

"Tired?" he asked quietly. She made a humming sound, as if confirming yes.

"Okay, sorry," he muttered, and laid her back in the cot. "Good night."

He got up and left, closing the door quietly behind him. He almost walked into Leah coming in the opposite direction.

"Daddy..." she began, the tone of her voice signifying an impending question.

"Yeeees?" he responded with the same tone of voice.

"Will you come play with me and Mummy?"

He spread a smile, diving to pick her up and hug her tightly to his chest. "Of course I will. Hey, are you still scared?"

"Not when you're here," she replied honestly, linking her arms around his neck.

He kissed her. "Quite right," he said, and she giggled. "I love you."

"Love you too," she said as they began to walk.

The Doctor suddenly stopped outside the door, frowning. "Hold on, where am I going?"

Leah giggled again, the sound like a beautiful chime to his ears. "My room."

"Right," he said, set her down on the floor. "Dad train departing, all aboard! Please mind the gap between the train and the platform."

She giggled once more, jumping onto his back. He pushed her up, securing her on his back. "Train ready to depart. Please make sure any luggage you have is not left unattended. Doors closing. Beep! Beep! Beep!"

Leah laughed again, burying her face into his neck.

"This train is for Leah's room. We will be calling at the corridor, the kitchen, the corridor again, and Leah's room. Thank you for travelling with the Dad Train. Choo choo! Chugga chugga chugga chugga choo choo!"

* * *

"I apologise. You do understand, don't you?"

Rose stared at him, blinking rapidly, trying desperately not to cry. There they were. Those immortal words. She'd said them herself before. She'd just never imagined them coming from his mouth.

"Of course I'll still visit," he continued, smiling. "Have to see my little ones, don't I?"

He said it as though it was fact. She could see right through him. It was a lie. He didn't care about his children. Not anymore.

"... You can't go," was all she managed in response, her throat dry and cracked.

"If I could stay, I would, but you know the regeneration risk," he carried on, that smile finding less and less ways to be in any way reassuring. "Changing personas. So unpredictable."

"But… I need you," she whispered, still unable to take her eyes off of him.

"Well we all have to make sacrifices, my dear. You can live with your mother. Or Torchwood. I'm sure somebody will put you up."

She swallowed. "But the… the TARDIS is my home. Our home. With you."

"No longer, my dear," he responded, his lip curling slightly. "And I think you'll find that the TARDIS is mine, not yours."

As soon as the words left his mouth she stopped feeling sorry for herself, and instead became very angry. "You can't do this!"

Immediately he launched forward, grabbing her around the neck. His eyes had turned, those unfamiliar bright blue eyes somehow now as black as night in a matter of nanoseconds.

"I will _do what I wish _and _you will accept it, _good little human."

His words left a bitter tang in the air around them, but she wasn't taking this. She grabbed the Doctor's hand, yanking it away forcefully. "The old you would never have done this!"

"The old me was a pathetic, gibbering idiot," he spat, like acid. "This is new me. Get used to it, my dear_."_

"He was far better than you!" she yelled in his face.

"Do I somehow care about your stupid inferior human opinion?" His eyes narrowed to slits. "I am _far _superior to you. I am a Time Lord; the most glorious species ever to wander the universe. What I say goes and you, human, need to learn to start _bowing."_

"You've turned into him," Rose whined, unable to stop herself crying, now. "You've turned into the Master…"

"Good!" he boomed. "Maybe I should try and find him again. It's about time we had a talk. I think we will start agreeing on a few things. Oh, crying?" He stared pointedly at the tear glistening on her cheek. "I used to find you beautiful when you cried. Now I just find it _pathetic. _Oh dear. Rose Tyler. I loved you."

"Please," she suddenly found herself begging. "Please bring him back."

"Impossible, my dear. He's dead now; gone forever. And thank Rassilon for it. Died screaming in pain with the toilet flooded with his own vomit. A comical end for a comical man. I'm so glad he's dead. I couldn't stand being that imbecile for much longer. Him and his stupid pointy hair, those childish sandshoes, the utter _lankiness. _I would say appearances are deceptive, but in his case he was just as gelled in his head as he was in his hair. Well, he had to be to be even remotely interested in humans, never mind _reproducing _with one."

There was a long, tense silence. He continued to smile inanely.

"I hate you," she finally croaked.

"Hate is such a strong word, my dear. I much prefer the term, 'worship'."

"Get out."

"_You _don't order _me _about."

"You're poison!" she yelled in his face.

"Oh, I love it," he enthused. "Say that again."

She ignored the jibe. "Break the bond with me."

He almost seemed to laugh. "Can't, I'm afraid. It is very much eternal. And would you like to know the funny part?"

She blinked, stunned. "What!?"

"The bond means you will never be happy with another partner again. You will pine for me, human. All day and all night you'll be begging the skies, pledging your forgiveness and willingness to work things out, just for one last round of human sex with me. We;;. that's what the lesson is here. Don't get involved with things you don't understand. Like aliens, Rose Tyler. Hmm, Rose," he suddenly mused, pausing. "Is that short for Roseanne? I never asked."

"Get lost," she snapped, and turned away.

"And with every step away from me your heart tightens," he said from behind her. "Your curse, my dear, from now until the day you die. Endless pangs and pains and my face in your head, as you plead with me to _fuck _you."

She started to talk.

"Not even a parting kiss? Good bye forever?" he mocked.

"I'll be _fine!"_

* * *

Rose jerked awake, her eyes snapping open to come face to face with the Doctor. She jumped at the sight of him, before registering that he was the one with floppy brown hair and pouty bottom lip.

"Oh god," she whined quietly so as not to wake him.

"What?" the Doctor suddenly asked, snapping open his eyes.

She blinked in surprise. "Oh… Thought you were asleep," she replied quietly.

"Nope," he answered, gazing at her for a long moment. "That looked like an interesting dream."

She bit her tongue to stop herself from crying. "Hug me."

He frowned, but did, sliding to her to wrap his arm around her shoulder and the other around the back of her neck. "What did you dream about?"

She completely ignored the question. "Do you love me?"

His frown deepened. "Of course I do."

"Say it," she demanded.

"I love you," he said immediately. "What did you dream about?"

"It doesn't matter," she said.

He sighed, pausing for a moment before kissing her fully on the lips. He then rolled over so he was covering her, staring down into her eyes.

Without any further words he lowered his head to kiss her neck, slowly tracing a path downwards as though marking a treasure map. He reached the neckband of her nightshirt and lingered there with his lips as he reached down to pull up her shirt from the bottom, snaking his hand up to cup her right breast, running his thumb in circle around her nipple. He then continued downwards with his lips, spending some time around her left breast before continuing downwards, down to her naval, and down to where her shorts touched her skin.

He reached forward a single, solitary finger to hook in the hem of her shorts, drawing them slowly down.

"Please don't," she suddenly said, the dream version of him barging through her head.

He stopped immediately. "You're tense," he said gently. "This will help."

"No. It'll hurt you."

"I'll be okay," he insisted.

"Don't be stupid," she said in a whisper. "You can't have sex and not increase your blood pressure."

"I can do it."

"No."

"I can do it," he said again.

"No, you can't," she replied gently.

"Let me prove it."

"You don't need to prove anything."

He sighed, rolling off to flop redundantly on the bed beside her.

"Sorry," she muttered.

"It's okay," he replied, staring at the ceiling. But from his tone of voice she knew he was _not _finding it okay. She knew what this was about.

"I'm really okay with you not being able to do it for now," she said. "It doesn't make you less of a partner to me."

He sighed again through gritted teeth, before drawing back the cover and swinging his legs over the side. "I'm getting up."

"Don't be mad," she begged.

"I'm not, I'm just…" He stopped, taking a breath. "... I need to go to the bathroom."

He got up and went into the en-suite without another word, closing the door behind him and locking it. He went to the sink, staring at himself in the mirror for a moment. There was a small pattern of dark veins on the side of his chin. Faint, but very much there.

The moment he saw them, he wanted to throw up. He dived for the toilet, collapsing on his knees beside it and ducking his head inside, immediately beginning to vomit. It seemed even worse than usual as he had nothing left to throw up, and ending up just dry heaving and coughing into the toilet.

Now the fire was back, flaring inside his veins. With every heave the pain got worse, until he found he was beginning to seize up completely. He fought desperately against it, but couldn't help the rips of cries coming from his mouth.

"Doctor?" came Rose's cry from outside the door, but he couldn't answer her. He was already lying on the floor shaking and gasping. "Doctor, if you don't answer I'm gonna get Brax!"

He didn't. He couldn't.

"I'll be back in a minute!" she cried, and running footsteps left the room.

He moaned, desperately trying to be heard. He lifted a shaking hand, trying to wipe at a warm liquid on his face, dribbling out of his mouth. He just about managed it, lifting his hand again to meet his eyes, only to find his hand was stained with streaks of blood.

Why would it be stained with blood?

"Thete!" Brax's voice yelled from outside the door. "Thete, answer me!"

He didn't, passing out.

* * *

_**Next time...**_

_Mickey hadn't been lying. There was Jimmy on BBC Breakfast, in a VT darkly lit, dressed in a smart suit and tie and with his hair neatly combed and parted. The subtitle named him **James Stone**._

_"I know I sound absolutely insane, but I swear on my life it's true," Jimmy was saying in a far posher accent than usual. "The Doctor, Alex Tyler's father is an alien. He abducted me… took me on his ship, started to…"_

_He stopped, choking out a sob._

_"... I can't say it. I'm sorry. But… after I saw him on the news yesterday, I had to speak out. To stop him doing it to other people. Cos… if you look hard enough on the internet, he's there in the footnotes, he's everywhere. Through history. He's an alien, a time travelling alien and he… I found out… the alien fugitive two years ago was him. He put our whole planet in jeopardy. When all the rhinos with guns came, they were the police… They wanted to arrest him. But he got away. He's already messed with our history. The anti-alien group lead by Alex Grimshaw, didn't you ever wonder what happened to them? The Doctor got inside his mind and changed his thoughts. He's now completely pro-alien. Don't you find that weird? The amount of things this Doctor's done that we haven't noticed. When the Prime Minister died at Downing Street, he was there. When that ship hovered over London on Christmas day with everyone on the roof… He was there. The ghosts appearing, the hospital going to the moon, Mr Saxon and the assassination of the President… Even if you don't believe they happened, I swear to you they did, and he had a hand in all of them._


	11. 23rd May 2013, 07:27:50

Chapter 10 - 23rd May 2013, 07:27:50

"It's not supposed to happen this fast," Rose whined, staring at her husband lying unconscious in the bed as he had been for five long, horrible hours now. "He's supposed to be fine for another month at least…"

Brax could barely bring himself to look at her, scrolling through the readouts of the handheld scan he'd done. He'd wanted to do a full body scan, but with Ianto in the infirmary and the TARDIS populated the secret would very quickly be out. They'd already had Martha nosing around, woken up by the commotion. They'd managed to get rid of her by saying Kiana was having a bad night, Brax shielding her view of the Doctor lying on the floor by placing himself directly in front of her. The Doctor himself was in a coma.

"Okay, the blood isn't serious," he began, staring intently at the readout. "He's vomited so much he's torn his oesophagus slightly. It doesn't need surgery. The alere flamman… Oh no."

"What?" Rose asked quickly, her head snapping up.

"I don't believe it. It has multiplied… His blood levels of it are up four times since I scanned him a week ago," Brax croaked, staring at the readout in disbelief.

"But what does that mean?"

"It means if it keeps multiplying at this rate he's going to be dead before June."

"Oh God," Rose muttered, head in her hands. "We've gotta do somethin'..."

Brax finally looked at her, his eyes heavy. "I'm sorry."

"No, no!" Rose suddenly burst out. "Don't you dare say that!"

"There's nothing I can do…"

"He can't be dyin'!" Rose replied adamantly. "There's somethin'! There's always somethin'!"

Brax faltered, looking at the floor again. He paused, his eyes flickering left to right before he slapped his knees, and got up.

"Okay. I will be back in a moment. Try and bring him around."

Brax left, leaving Rose with her husband. She took his hand, squeezing it a little.

"Doctor. Doctor. It's okay. You can wake up now. We're fixing this so don't worry. Love you."

He remained perfectly still.

She leant forward and kissed him on the lips, as if hoping for some sort of Sleeping Beauty revival. He didn't bat an eyelid, staying very still. He looked so serene.

She looked at the black marks on his chin for about the fiftieth time, sighing. A sign of how fast the illness was progressing. He couldn't be dead by June. He just couldn't. She wouldn't let him.

She pushed back his fringe from his forehead and straightened the sheets over him. It was strange that the only positive she could find was that at least when he was unconscious he couldn't be in pain anymore.

The door opened as Brax returned, holding a small medicine bottle. He quietly closed the door and retook his seat. He seemed strangely inward, barely able to look at her.

"What is that?" she asked, a little unnerved by his demeanour.

"Maghmar. It'll suppress the Alere Flamman. Should buy us some time. He'll keep going until we stop giving it to him," he replied quietly.

Rose's eyes widened. "Can't we just use that until we find our memory?"

Brax quickly shook his head. "This medicine is extremely dangerous."

"How so?"

"It's hugely addictive and extremely toxic. After a while it will start decaying him inside out."

Rose swallowed. "How long?"

"About seven weeks," he replied quietly. "He _will_ become addicted so we have to maintain it."

She gazed at the Doctor for a moment, before looking back at Brax. She didn't like the sound of the Doctor being addicted to a medication. "Isn't there another way?"

"No."

"Okay," she muttered, squeezing the Doctor's hand again. "... What do I do?"

"I'll administer the doses and keep this medicine with me at all times. If he asks you for some, under no circumstances are you to give him any. Always check with me first. If we keep at the right dose at the right times he will be able to take it for longer."

She nodded. "Okay."

"Lift his head."

She did. Brax opened the bottle and turned it up on his finger before leaning forward, dabbing it on his brother's lips.

"There," Brax said softly, slipping the medicine back into his pocket. "Thete."

Rose watched, fascinated as the black marks suddenly seemed to completely disappear. A tiny bruise he'd gotten falling down paled out to skin colour. His healing capabilities were being accelerated, she realised, and kept going until he was lying there with colour in his face, breathing easily.

"Thete," Brax prompted again.

The Doctor opened his eyes. "What?" he asked, blinking a few times.

Rose immediately leant forward and hugged him, kissing him.

"Whoa," the Doctor muttered, hugging her back. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" Rose repeated disbelievingly, pulling back.

"You collapsed," Brax explained. "You tore your oesophagus, you were vomiting blood."

"I can't remember," the Doctor said, frowning as Rose kissed him again.

"I am not surprised," Brax replied. "I'm so sorry, Thete, but when I scanned you the amount of Alere Flamman in your blood was up four times the amount it should have been."

"Then how did you…" The Doctor stopped talking, his face changing as he realised. "... Maghmar."

"I'm sorry. I truly am. I know what I said. But you were in a coma, within a week of dying. I had to do something drastic."

"It's okay," the younger Time Lord replied, before looking at his wife. "We need to find that memory."

She looked at him with an immutable sadness. "How?"

"I'll think of something."

She couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah. I know you will."

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. They looked at each other in a panic, Rose leaping into bed beside the Doctor with amazing athleticity, Brax tip-toeing quickly into the en-suite and hiding behind the door. The Doctor hit the light as Rose ruffled up her hair and draped her arm across his chest, the both of them closing their eyes.

Two seconds later, the door opened slightly.

"Doctor? Rose?" It was Mickey. "You awake?"

The Doctor purposefully groaned, flickering open his eyes to look at Mickey blearily. "No."

"Sorry," Mickey said honestly. "But you gotta get up. It's the news."

"What about it?"

"You're on it."

"I know."

"... And so's Jimmy Stone."

"What!?" Rose gasped, sitting up immediately to stare at Mickey in horror. He looked surprised.

"Thought you were asleep?"

"We were faking it, what about Jimmy Stone?" the Doctor asked quickly.

Mickey looked even more surprised. "He's… Oh, he's on the news, talkin' about you."

* * *

Mickey hadn't been lying. There was Jimmy on BBC Breakfast, in a VT darkly lit, dressed in a smart suit and tie and with his hair neatly combed and parted. The subtitle named him **James Stone.**

_"I know I sound absolutely insane, but I swear on my life it's true," _Jimmy was saying in a far posher accent than usual. _"The Doctor, Alex Tyler's father is an alien. He abducted me… took me on his ship, started to…"_

He stopped, choking out a sob.

_"... I can't say it. I'm sorry. But… after I saw him on the news yesterday, I had to speak out. To stop him doing it to other people. Cos… if you look hard enough on the internet, he's there in the footnotes, he's everywhere. Through history. He's an alien, a time travelling alien and he… I found out… the alien fugitive two years ago was him. He put our whole planet in jeopardy. When all the rhinos with guns came, they were the police… They wanted to arrest him. But he got away. He's already messed with our history. The anti-alien group lead by Alex Grimshaw, didn't you ever wonder what happened to them? The Doctor got inside his mind and changed his thoughts. He's now completely pro-alien. Don't you find that weird? The amount of things this Doctor's done that we haven't noticed. When the Prime Minister died at Downing Street, he was there. When that ship hovered over London on Christmas day with everyone on the roof… He was there. The ghosts appearing, the hospital going to the moon, Mr Saxon and the assassination of the President… Even if you don't believe they happened, I swear to you they did, and he had a hand in all of them. _

_"He needs to be stopped. He's dangerous and unpredictable and he's got my girl, my Rose, he stole her from me with some kind of alien mind thing and I know he doesn't treat her well... Her or the kids he forced her to have. Alien kids, it's not their fault, they're only children… That's why I want to start the fight to stop him. Get them out. I'll raise them as my own, I don't care, I just need to get my Rose and these innocent children out of his clutches. He's gonna destroy our planet or die trying. And I know everyone will think I'm mad but honestly, I just want one person to believe me. Just one. Then we can start fighting back against these aliens. And Rose, if you're listening, I'm gonna help you get out. Thank you for listening."_

For a long while, silence reigned.

"Oh my god," Rose finally whispered in utter shock. "Doctor?" She turned to him, her eyes wide. "What do we do?"

The Doctor didn't have an answer for her. "Gwen?"

"You could either release a statement that he's completely insane or wait. People might not believe him," Gwen suggested.

Mickey looked between them all. "That was pretty convincin' though."

"How does he know you're a time traveller?" Rose asked quickly. "How does he know about all that other stuff?"

"I fear somebody may be feeding him information," Brax said quietly.

The Doctor nodded at that. "That was rehearsed."

"And he looks so smart," Mickey pointed out. "You reckon somebody's dressed him up for it?"

"Well if you had a greasy spotty drug addict in a tracksuit with a heavy Camden accent telling you he'd been abducted by aliens you might not take it as seriously as a man in a suit and Queen's English," the Doctor surmised, running a hand through his hair… before suddenly freezing mid-run, staring at the wall.

"Thought?" Martha enquired.

"What if…" he began, and turned to Mickey. "Mickey, look up Jimmy. Check out his history."

"But we know his history," Mickey answered, confused.

"I know, but the rest of the world doesn't. Check the prison records for any mention of him."

Mickey immediately got it and ran off to his computer.

Rose looked at the Doctor. "You think he…"

"Might have had his history rewritten? Yes," the Doctor completed.

"He can do that?" Jackie asked, stunned.

"Like the Master," Martha realised coldly. "Just before he… you know."

The Doctor nodded. "I wouldn't be surprised if Jimmy's had an entire history made for him, just like the Master did."

"So we're saying it's the Master again?" Gwen asked.

"Yes… No… I don't know," the Doctor moaned, hand on his head. "If it's him why's he keeping us at arms length? And why does he need a human body? Why's he used Jimmy like that? He's not subtle. Why would he start being subtle now? He wouldn't keep himself a secret."

"Thete's right, this isn't Koschei's style," Brax said, nodding. "He'd let the world know what he was doing. And he wouldn't tell Thete to do nothing. The kind of person he is, he would personally invite Thete to wherever he's keeping all of the abductees."

"So someone's copying his style?" Sarah asked.

"Maybe not intentionally. That still doesn't explain why I felt him in that girl's head, though," the Doctor said quietly, looking at Sarah. "Sarah? Any suggestions of what to do?"

"We could call Unit. They'd give you protection," she replied.

The Doctor shook his head. "They're not very happy with us at the moment."

"You're the Doctor, no matter how upset with you they are they'd protect you. But I also think we should wait before we do anything drastic. Like Gwen says, people might not believe him."

"Doctor," Mickey called from his computer, and everyone flooded there immediately. "You were right. He's been completely erased from prison records. He's got profiles on every social networkin' site." He scrolled down the Facebook page. "He goes right back to 2005. Posts, photos, everythin'. He's a model citizen. Charitable works, donates his paycheck, the lot. He's a registered accountant, too."

"Someone's done it for him," Rose muttered.

"Maybe it's Jack," Mickey suddenly said. "He can do that stuff in his sleep."

"You mean whoever's taken him is forcing him?" Martha asked.

"Yeah," Mickey confirmed nodding.

"Jack can't exactly refuse either," the Doctor said, also nodding. "Wherever he is, Alex and Luke are too and it would only take one threat. Jack would do it to protect them."

"So what do we do?" Martha asked, and immediately everyone looked at the Doctor.

The Doctor sighed. "... We wait."

"Again?" Rose asked, clearly annoyed.

"... I don't know what else to do."

"It's fine," Brax said quickly. "We wait. This is starting to get dangerous. There's no benefit in jumping into anything. If we start creating waves now the entire planet might turn against us."

"So we wait," Rose croaked.

"Yes," the Doctor muttered.

"For how _long!?"_

"I don't know, I'm sorry, I don't know," the Doctor said quickly, his voice dropping to nearly a whisper. "I just… I don't know."

Rose sighed, quickly going to him and hugging him. "Sorry, I'm just…"

"I know," he muttered. "I am too." He paused, before drawing away from Rose. "I'll go and check the girls."

He left, everyone staring sadly after him.

"Is he okay?" Martha asked Rose suddenly.

"What?" Rose asked defensively and quickly. Far too quickly.

Martha blinked at her sudden response. "Sorry, he just… You're both going through quite a time, is there anything we can do?"

"No, sorry, no," Rose answered, trying to slow herself down and look at Martha with some sort of confidence. "We're okay. We're just a bit scattered at the moment."

She nodded. "I understand."

Rose offered a smile and followed her husband into the TARDIS.

"Do you ever get that feeling like you're not being told something?" Martha wondered aloud to herself as Rose disappeared.

All Brax, Jackie and Sarah could do was shrug and look away.

* * *

**A/N:** Review reply! Yay!

_**Next time...**_

_"What do I do, Brax?" he asked seriously in a quiet voice. "Everything's gone wrong and I've got no control."_

_Brax sighed, getting up to finish the tea. "I don't know, Thete."_

_"My son's been abducted, my body's dying, I'm addicted to a drug, my wife's getting more and more depressed every day, we still don't know what our memory was and now the entire Earth has turned against me. This hurts, Brax."_

_"I know," Brax murmured giving him the mug and taking a seat again._

_"I know it's mad, but this is my home," the Doctor continued. Brax knew his emotions were unstable with the bond being tested but he had seldom seen his brother so raw with emotion. It was so very human of him. "Earth. It's where I live. I love the human race. I love this planet."_


	12. 7th June 2013, 07:45:02

**A/N: **Oh I love a Doctor Rose argument :D

* * *

Chapter 11 - 7th June 2013, 07:45:02

_"Getting closer… closer…"_

* * *

The Doctor woke up, shivering and panting, without quite knowing how he'd got so out of breath. He'd been asleep. How could he have let himself fall asleep?

He looked sideward at Rose fast asleep beside him. He could see the glistening tear tracks on her face in the little light as she slept, her arm under one pillow with her face turned towards him.

It had been just over two weeks since the abduction now, and still they had done absolutely nothing. He knew Rose hated him for it. They had started to grow apart. She was crying herself to sleep most nights and didn't want him to say anything to her. He knew why. She was fed up with his words. The endless, "it'll be okay" and, "Jack's taking care of him" were not sufficient any more, not even for him. But what else was there to say? Staying back was logically right, but it didn't feel morally right.

To top it all off, Jimmy's plea had gone further than any of them could have imagined, and suddenly the world was a lot, lot more ominous. Twitter had exploded - hashtag aliens, hashtag abductees, hashtag Doctor - the public had listened to Jimmy's story with wrapped attention, and were happily drinking it up. More people were coming out with stories of aliens, and anti-alien groups were emerging across the world like never before. By the time Gwen had suggested releasing a statement it was far, _far _too late. Now all they could do was hide. There were press camping just a few metres above their heads in the Bay, waiting for any sign of any of them. Rhys had only just about got through undetected.

It was a weird feeling. The tiny blue planet he had loved for so long; the place he had taken refuge on countless occasions; the one place in the Universe he felt at home was now baying for his alien blood. Martha had called UNIT, but they didn't want to know him. Not even the Brigadier could help.

Whoever had suited up Jimmy was clearly trying to tear the Doctor apart from his Earth, and they were doing a very good job of it. The entire world wanted to see him dead.

For a warm-blooded species, the human race were so very, very cold.

He glanced at the clock - 8:14am. He quietly and carefully got up, pulling on a shirt before slipping out of the door, and headed to the kitchen. He nearly groaned when he saw Brax in there, but forged ahead and stepped inside.

"Thete?" Brax asked immediately, clearly concerned.

"I'm fine," the Doctor responded automatically, moving to the kettle. "Just want some tea."

Brax sighed, still staring at him as the Doctor took a mug down. He continued to feel Brax's eyes on him, and got a bit annoyed.

"Can you stop staring at me?" he asked, turning to face Brax with the mug still in his hand.

"Sorry," Brax muttered, and looked away. The Doctor sighed, turned back to the kettle, and suddenly all the muscles in his right arm died for no apparent reason. The mug hit the floor as it slipped out of its unrelenting fingers, the handle breaking off on impact.

The Doctor quickly grabbed his right arm with his left hand, flexing his fingers as he stared down at the mug in partial disbelief.

Brax got up immediately. "I'll clear it," he muttered, bending down to pick up the mess.

The Doctor could only stare at his arm. He could see the tell-tale signs of black creeping up through his veins. He rapidly decided he didn't want tea any more, and turned to leave.

"Thete, sit down," Brax implored, putting the mug in the incinerator bin.

He did, still holding his arm. Brax flicked the kettle on and pulled down another mug before dropping down in the opposite seat, pulling out the Maghmar from his pocket. He measured out a quarter of a cap, and gave it to the Doctor.

The Doctor quickly drank it. "I need more," he said, pushing the cap back.

"That's enough," Brax said, slipping the medicine back into his pocket.

"Give me more," the Doctor urged, his eyes wide.

"No. That's all you need. I know you're addicted now, Thete, but you've at least got to try and fight it."

The Doctor sighed, looking at his arm. The marks had gone. He quickly chastised himself. "I never thought I'd be addicted to a drug," he said quietly.

"Neither did I," Brax muttered.

"What do I do, Brax?" he asked seriously in a quiet voice. "Everything's gone wrong and I've got no control."

Brax sighed, getting up to finish the tea. "I don't know, Thete."

"My son's been abducted, my body's dying, I'm addicted to a drug, my wife's getting more and more depressed every day, we still don't know what our memory was and now the entire Earth has turned against me. This hurts, Brax."

"I know," Brax murmured giving him the mug and taking a seat again.

"I know it's mad, but this is my home," the Doctor continued. Brax knew his emotions were unstable with the bond being tested but he had seldom seen his brother so raw with emotion. It was so very human of him. "Earth. It's where I live. I love the human race. I love this planet."

"They will come around," Brax assured him. "It's a phase. I do not know much about humans but I know they're fickle. It's one dramatic thing after another with them. Today it is aliens, tomorrow a celebrity will have a baby."

The Doctor looked at him, and couldn't help but grin. "Going native?" he asked.

Brax smiled back. "Oh, I am very invested in the affairs of Posh and Becks."

The Doctor laughed, taking a sip of tea.

"Go to bed," Brax ordered, getting up. "I will see you later."

He left.

The Doctor finished his tea, but didn't go to bed. He sat there for a solid twenty minutes, staring at the table until Sarah arrived.

"Good morning," she greeted him, hitting the kettle.

"Morning," the Doctor replied absently.

"How's Rose?" Sarah wondered.

The Doctor sighed. He couldn't lie to Sarah. "Not good."

"I noticed," she confessed.

"I don't think she's very happy with me at the moment," he muttered, chin in hand.

"Of course she's not. Your only son is missing and we're all insisting that we hide and do nothing. She's not happy with any of us. Not to mention everything else that's happening. She's frustrated," she said, finishing off the tea.

"And she has every right to be," the Doctor added. "She's just not talking to me like she used to and I don't think that's helping either of us."

"She's very tired, Doctor, and so are you. There's a limit to how many crises even you can handle at a time," she said, sitting opposite him.

He smiled at that, before the smile fell again rapidly. "She's crying a lot, Sarah. She cries in her sleep. All I do is repeat the same words over and over. She's fed up with me saying them, and so am I."

"She's not looking for words, she just wants comfort," Sarah told him. "You two have been through too much together to fall apart like this. It may not seem like it but you need each other now more than ever."

The Doctor sighed, looking at her. "Relationships are difficult, aren't they?"

"I don't think they're meant to be easy," Sarah replied. "You of all people should know you have to work on a happily ever after."

He sighed, getting up. "Thank you, Sarah."

"You're welcome."

He left with a little more spring in his step.

* * *

Brax entered the console room from Torchwood at three days later, only to find Rose sitting on the chair, clearly deep in thought.

"Rose?" he asked, stopping by the console.

She looked up. "Sorry," she said, making to move away, but he held up a hand.

"Don't get up. You look troubled," he noted.

"I'm… oh, it's nothin'," she finished, waving her hand.

"No, go on," Brax insisted, sitting down next to her.

"Well… I'm worried about the Doctor."

"Aren't we all?"

"I mean… he's collapsing more recently. What if he collapses and no one's there? What if... we can't find him? What if we don't get there in time? He could die, Brax. All on his own."

Brax frowned for a moment, gazing at her. "You're right," he finally decided, and moved to the console monitor. "Let me show you something."

Rose got up, her brow furrowed. "What?"

"We can monitor him from here," Brax told her, pressing a few keys on the console. "Check his biorhythms constantly. Look."

He pointed at the monitor where it showed a load of Gallifreyan symbols.

"I don't understand that," Rose said quietly.

"Hold on," Brax said, and with a few button presses the Gallifreyan symbols suddenly turned into English. She leant forward, closely scrutinising it.

**Theta Sigma (registered passenger #1) biorhythms checklist**

**Species: Gallifreyan/Human hybrid**

**Heart rate: (1) OK (2) OK | Blood pressure: Low-mid | Blood sugar: OK | Breathing: OK | Central Nervous System: OK | Body Temp.: OK | Electrocerebral activity: Good **

**Infections: Alere Flamman detected, blood cell content 0.3**

**Foreign substances: General sustenance / Drug compound(s) - B515-799-43-7/10, F585-932-12-1/10, F585-888-91-7/5**

**Warnings: Blood cell override (A) | Prognosis: (A) Terminal, 7 weeks (Sol 3 time) **

**Location: Bedroom #2, TARDIS Type 40, on Sol 3, 51.4630° N, 3.1640° W**

**-END-**

**Further information? Y/N**

"Observe the infections category," Brax said, pointing. "If that number there after blood cell content - 0.3 - increases above 0.6, that means he is in danger. 0.8 almost certainly means he is unconscious. All of these drug compounds are the Maghmar, his nutritional supplements and painkillers. And it gives you the location too, but it can only find him in a planet-wide radius."

Rose nodded. "Okay. Is the low-mid blood pressure okay?"

"It is the Maghmar's effect; suppressing it so it's far less likely to spike. When his blood pressure's high the blood cell content will increase and that is alarm bells. It's why he has been rather dozy recently… Well, more than usual."

Rose didn't even have the willpower to smile at that. "Thank you, Brax."

"No problem," he replied, standing back from the monitor, before gazing at her for a moment. "Are you well?"

She sighed. "... Yeah."

"Thete's worried about you."

"I know," she said quietly. "I just… I need some space. I'm not angry at him, I'm just…"

"Frustrated," Brax completed.

"Yeah," she said quietly.

"I understand," he said, nodding. "I'll leave you alone."

"Thank you," she said, hand on his arm. "I don't wanna be mean."

"I know you don't, It's fine," he insisted. "If there's anything I can do…"

She finally offered him a smile. "You already have."

"You're welcome. I will see you later," he said, and left.

Rose watched him go, pausing for a few seconds before diving to the monitor. She quickly hit back from the Doctor's screen to the list of passengers, and hedged her bets on passenger number four.

**Alex Tyler (registered passenger #4) biorhythms checklist**

**Species: Gallifreyan/Human hybrid**

**Heart rate: (1) Fast (2) Fast | Blood pressure: Mid-high | Blood sugar: OK | Breathing: Stilted | Central Nervous System: OK | Body Temp.: High | Electrocerebral activity: Good**

**Infections: Lung infection, NMS (Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome)**

**Foreign substances: General sustenance / Drug compound(s) - F711-555-12-2/9**

**Warnings: High adrenaline, Minor malnutrition, Fast heart rate, Stilted breathing, High temperature - IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION REQUIRED**

**Location: Sol 3, 51.5081° N, 0.0761° W**

**-END-**

**Further information? Y/N**

Rose's breath caught in her throat as she stared at the readout, shaking badly.

She had Alex's location, and he was sick - in desperate need of medical help. A lung infection, malnourished, and what was that drug compound and NMS?

She hit **Y, **and then the drug compound.

**Drug compound(s) - F711-555-12-2/9**

**Scanning database…**

**Complete.**

**Neuroleptic compound**

She grabbed a piece of paper and wrote the co-ordinates and the words 'Neuroleptic' and 'Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome' down. She cancelled the biorhythms windows on the console monitor, and left quickly into Torchwood.

Mickey was at his desk, so she quickly retreated, hiding inside the TARDIS doors holding the piece of paper to her chest. She needed a computer badly…

Taking a firm decision, she stuffed the piece of paper back into her pocket and stepped out fully into Torchwood. Mickey didn't even notice her pass him as she quietly climbed the steps and stepped into Jack's office.

It was a little unkempt - just as he'd left it that night. She quickly crossed to his desk, flicking on a lamp, taking a seat and opening the laptop.

A login screen immediately popped up.

She paused for a moment, frowning. She then tried various combinations of usernames and passwords, ranging from the username as 'Jack The Time Agent' and 'Jack The Sexy'. None of them worked, and a solid twenty minutes passed by of failures to login.

She then clicked the username box, and typed in '**Guest**'. To her complete surprise, it worked. Jack _really _needed to up his security.

Wasting no time she brought up Google. She then pulled out the slip of paper and flattened it out on the desk, first typing in the word '**Neuroleptic**'.

**About 1,700,000 results (0.22 seconds) **

**Antipsychotic - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia**  
**_ wiki/Antipsychotic_**  
**Antipsychotics (also known as neuroleptics or major tranquilizers) are a class of psychiatric medication primarily used to manage psychosis (including delusions, …**

She immediately panicked, clicking on the link. She then jumped down to side effects.

**Sedation (particularly common in patients on clozapine, olanzapine, quetiapine, chlorpromazine and zotepine)**  
**Headaches**  
**Dizziness**  
**Diarrhea**  
**Anxiety**

This list went on, but she quickly decided she'd already seen enough. She hit back, and looked at the second entry.

**Neuroleptic malignant syndrome - Wikipedia, the free …**  
**_ wiki/Neuroleptic_malignant_syndrome_**  
**Neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) is a life-threatening neurological disorder most often caused by an adverse reaction to neuroleptic or antipsychotic ...**

She didn't need to click on that one, her mind already shrouded in anger, fear and panic. She quickly typed in the co-ordinates and hit enter.

The location came up almost immediately, and instantly she felt very, very sick.

She had to tell the Doctor. He would do something now. Alex was in severe danger…

She was already pulling out her phone to call him, before suddenly Mickey's voice resounded up the steps.

"Everyone, get in here! Rose!"

Rose quickly shut the laptop and ran out of the door, her phone still in her hand. She arrived at Mickey's desk seconds before the Doctor, who she quickly grabbed by the arms.

"Doctor, I need to…"

"Look!" Mickey interrupted, pointing at the screen as everyone arrived.

_"... The body is known to be that of the Hollywood actor, Clint Mendoza, who was one of the fifty-six abductees. He leaves behind a wife and four-year-old son," _the reporter said.

_"We have identified the body as that of Clint Mendoza," _a policeman said. _"The circumstances of his death are unknown, but we are continuing our investigations. His death is being treated as suspicious."_

_"What happened to Clint Mendoza is unknown," _the reporter continued,_ "but it's clear wherever the abductees are they are in serious danger, and for now all the families can do is hope. John Forringer, BBC News."_

"They found him in the Thames twenty minutes ago," Mickey explained. "His face was disfigured, like it had been pulled off. And… they found those words, cut into his chest."

"What words?" Martha asked, unusually quietly.

"... Do nothing."

"Oh god," Rose whined.

"Alex is fine," the Doctor said quickly, a hand on her arm. "If he was hurt I'd feel it."

"No, he's..." she began, frustrated, and then quickly realised. That body was a warning: a warning to her. She'd stuck in her nose too deeply. They'd seen her scanning Alex's biorhythms. Twenty-five minutes ago she'd been scanning the biorhythms. Clint Mendoza's body had turned up twenty minutes ago. Because of her.

She couldn't tell the Doctor. She couldn't tell anyone. Clint Mendoza's body had just been a warning. If she said anything… They had only taken five minutes to do the job and made sure she knew. The next time it could be Alex or Luke...

"But one of them's turned up _dead," _she ended up splurting out.

"I know," the Doctor muttered.

"And we're just gonna carry on sittin' here," she said, all the pent up anger and frustration somehow taking her over completely.

"... Yeah."

"WHY!?" Rose suddenly yelled, slamming a fist on the table and making Mickey's pen pot jump in the air. She didn't want to do this, _she didn't want to do this..._

"We have to!" the Doctor replied, his voice raising.

"I'm sick of waitin'!" she yelled back, trying desperately to bite back her words but they were just spluttering out of her mouth with no control.

"Don't you think I am _too?" _the Doctor shouted, standing up. Everyone was watching them now. "I can't stand this either!"

"Why don't we _go, _then!?" she demanded. "Just trace the biosignatures and get 'em!"

"I _told _you, this…"

"I don't _care!" _she screamed. "I'm sick of waitin' and wonderin' what the hell is happenin' to our son!"

"Thete…" Brax warned lowly, but nobody of any species was listening to him.

"He's okay, Ja-" the Doctor started, but was cut off.

"Cos _Jack's _with him!?" she asked, infuriated. "Jack's not perfect! He can't guarantee anythin'!"

"No, but he'll ma-"

"So what you're just _givin' up, _aren't ya!?"

"How am I giving up!?"

"You sittin' there lookin' all doe-eyed sayin' you can't do anythin'!"

"Theta!" Brax urged, his eyes a little wider.

"I-" the Doctor had barely got the syllable out of his mouth.

"You're not even _tryin'! _You don't _care, _do you!?" Rose screamed.

"Of course I care!" the Doctor suddenly bellowed, his fists clenched.

"If you cared you'd be there savin' them right now!"

"I _care!" _

_"Then DO something!"_

"We _can't!"_

"I _hate this!"_

"You're not the _only one!"_

"THIS ISN'T FAIR!"

"NOTHING'S FAIR!" the Doctor roared back, and suddenly went as stiff as a board. There was a collective gasp as he hit the floor with a loud clang, gasping and staring above him with wide, fixed eyes.

Rose only looked at him for two seconds before her eyes filled up again and she ran into the TARDIS, riddled with anger, frustration, and _pure guilt _at what she'd done.

* * *

**A/N:** _Next time..._

_Brax checked his hearts, and immediately his eyes shot wide open. "Martha, get a defibrillator!" he said urgently, hovering his cheek over his brother's mouth._

_"Uncle Brax?" Leah whined._

_"Gwen, please take Leah out of here," Brax ordered him._

_"No!" Leah wailed, hugging her Dad's head protectively._

_"Gwen!" Brax urged, pulling Leah away. Leah immediately burst into tears, struggling against Gwen's hold, but Gwen managed to get her away just in time for Martha to arrive with the defibrillator. Brax practically ripped the bag in two to get at it as Martha opened the Doctor's shirt. His chest was riddled with strange black lines._

_"Martha, I can't use this human technology!" Brax said urgently, shoving the now destroyed defibrillator bag to her. Within moments she had activated it, had the paddles in her hands and determined look on her face._

_"Clear!"_


	13. 10th June 2013, 18:03:21

**A/N: **Sooo it's been a while. But I have an awesome excuse. I was in Cardiff at the DW exhibition, posing sexily with Daleks...

* * *

Chapter 12 - 10th June 2013, 18:03:21

"Rose!" Brax yelled, diving to his brother.

"I'll look after 'er," Jackie said quickly, and rushed after Rose with Sarah in tow as Brax leant over his brother.

"Does… Does this m-make you h-happy, Brax?" the Doctor grated through gritted teeth.

"Why on Gallifrey would this make me happy, Theta?" Brax asked, genuinely confused as he pillowed his brother's head.

"I… c-can't even… even argue and I… I c-collapse. G-gotta look… a-aft-ter me…"

"I am going to ignore that and put it down to stress," Brax told him seriously, pulling off the Doctor's shoes and unbuttoning his shirt as he looked up at the group. "I need oxygen and a blanket. Quick!" he added on the end as Mickey, Martha and Gwen just stood there, transfixed. After a brief couple of seconds, Mickey and Gwen ran off, leaving Martha standing there.

"It's all right, I've got you, Thete," Brax said quickly, bunching up his sleeve to wipe at the sweat on his brother's brow.

The Doctor suddenly laughed, stilted in hiccups. "Oh B-Brax… y-you real-ly c-c… care ab-bout m-me… dontcha?"

"This is serious, Theta!" Brax shouted, resting a hand on the Doctor's chest to check his hearts. They were slowing down…

"G-giv-ving m-me illeg-gal dr-drugs…" the Doctor continued, his words becoming more and more stilted before he laughed again - coming out in a choking sound. "I'm a-addic-t-ted t-to a d-drug… M-Martha… h-he's g-given m-me an… an addict-tion j-just t-to s-save m-my… m-my l-life…"

"Brax, tell me what's going on!" Martha suddenly cut in, pushing Brax back from the Doctor. "What have you been doing to him!?"

"Helping him!" Brax responded, diving back to his brother to grab his head between his hands.

"What's _happening!?" _she demanded to know.

Brax ignored her. "His pupils are dilated…"

"G-go o-on… B-B-Brax… t-tell h-her…" - the Doctor gasped in a desperate breath and forced his last word out - "... e-everyth-thing!"

"Get away from him!" Martha yelled, grabbing Brax's shoulder and pushing him forcefully away.

"No, I'm _helping!" _Brax said desperately, begging her to believe him.

"It doesn't look like it from here!" Martha snapped back.

The Doctor suddenly stopped making any noise, his shaking ceasing. Martha and Brax immediately stopped arguing and looked over just in time to find the Doctor beginning to have a seizure.

"What the hell is happenin'?" Mickey demanded to know, having returned with an oxygen tank and Gwen holding a blanket.

Martha took the reins, stepping forward and putting her arms out as a barrier. "Stay back, don't touch him, anyone!"

"Daddy?" suddenly came a voice from across the Hub. They all looked up, panicking at the sight of Leah standing there, staring transfixed at her father.

"Leah, let's go inside the Tardis," Gwen said quickly, shoving the blanket in Mickey's arms and jogging to the girl.

Leah completed ignored her, running down to her dad instead. "Daddy!" she wailed at the sight of him.

Brax quickly moved to her, dropping to her height and stopping her from getting near. "You know how Daddy's sick?"

Leah looked at her uncle, tears in her eyes. "Yeah?"

"This is part of that," he told her gently.

"It looks scary but he's absolutely fine," Martha continued, trying desperately to ignore the flailing man beside her and offered Leah a calm, collected smile.

Leah attempted to move forward, but Brax quickly stopped her.

"Don't go near him, he can't control his limbs and he might accidentally hit you," he warned.

For a moment Leah just stared at her daddy, transfixed. He continued to flail, making horrific noises.

"Make it stop, Uncle Brax," she begged, her eyes filling up.

"I can't, he'll stop soon," he answered.

"I don't like it."

"And you shouldn't," Martha said quietly, pulling the girl into a hug.

"Daddy," she whined, crying in her aunt's arms.

Finally the Doctor stopped, and Brax pounced on him with the oxygen and the blanket. Leah ran forward immediately, kneeling down beside his head.

"Poh'a, poh'a, alee," she implored. "E'i mina eon, poh'a."

Brax checked his hearts, and immediately his eyes shot wide open. "Martha, get a defibrillator!" he said urgently, hovering his cheek over his brother's mouth.

"Uncle Brax?" Leah whined.

"Gwen, please take Leah out of here," Brax ordered him.

"No!" Leah wailed, hugging her Dad's head protectively.

"Gwen!" Brax urged, pulling Leah away. Leah immediately burst into tears, struggling against Gwen's hold, but Gwen managed to get her away just in time for Martha to arrive with the defibrillator. Brax practically ripped the bag in two to get at it as Martha opened the Doctor's shirt. His chest was riddled with strange black lines.

"Martha, I can't use this human technology!" Brax said urgently, shoving the now destroyed defibrillator bag to her. Within moments she had activated it, had the paddles in her hands and determined look on her face.

"Clear!"

Brax got out of the way as Martha lowered the paddles and shocked the Doctor over his left heart. He jolted, and in quick succession she jolted his right heart. Immediately the Doctor gasped, sucking in breath, but his eyes remained closed.

"Get him to a bed," Martha urged and Mickey ran off to get a stretcher.

* * *

It was already 11pm, and Sarah was sat beside the Doctor in the infirmary, holding his hand.

Braxiatel had been forced to tell the others everything. Everyone knew about the alere flamman now - there was no hiding it. Everyone had taken the news as badly as expected, and had each in turn come to visit the Doctor. He hadn't been conscious, but nobody seemed to care.

Sarah knew she shouldn't have, but she'd listened from the door to some of their laments. Nobody was more distressed than Martha, who had been chastising herself for obsessing over the birth plan when he clearly had been reluctant.

_"I should've noticed, should've guessed…" _she had said between sobs.

Mickey hadn't been much better. He was clearly trying to be the strong one as his wife was so broken up.

_"I'll help raise your kids, I swear, treat 'em like my own…" _he'd said.

Gwen and Rhys had come together. Always the optimist, Sarah couldn't help but think. They had sat there proclaiming that they'd help in any way they could with the memory.

_"And of course we'll look after Kiana while you're finding it, she and Anwen really get on…"_

Then there was just the quiet. The TARDIS, despite filled with many chatty adults and children who over the past few days had created a jovial atmosphere, was now in pure silence. She'd only seen Rose briefly for about two minutes, being given updates by Brax. She'd left very quickly after. Sarah didn't blame her, because she knew Rose was blaming herself. Since then, just the silence. But no more so than from the Doctor.

Sarah had always found it strange, especially with this new Doctor. He was always so full of energy - a kid with too many E numbers - running around saving planets and dazzling every person in range with that 100-watt smile. He could talk until the cows came home and save a planet quicker than the inhabitants could pick their nose.

Now here he was, terminally ill. Lying in a bed silent to the world, linked up to several monitors with a nose cannula.

When he was like this, it didn't feel right.

"Why does Daddy sleep so much when he's ill?" Leah suddenly asked.

It had been so quiet Sarah had almost forgotten she was there. She had refused to go to bed.

"Sleep is very healing," she replied gently to the four-year-old. "Everyone heals faster when they sleep. Sleep is magic."

"Like chicken soup? Daddy said chicken soup is magic."

Sarah couldn't help but smile. "Yes, exactly like chicken soup."

"I wish he wasn't ill so much," Leah whined.

"Your Daddy is an extraordinary man who takes many risks," Sarah answered. "Being ill is part of that."

"What does extraordinary mean?"

"It means he's very, very special."

"Yeah," Leah agreed. "Mummy says he's like Superman 'cept he doesn't wear his underpants over his trousers."

Sarah laughed again. "She is very right. But remember, even Superman needs someone to save him sometimes."

Leah nodded, just staring at her father for a moment before someone entered the infirmary behind them.

Sarah looked up to see Rose standing there, staring at the Doctor with tears in her eyes. Sarah quickly got up, taking Leah's hand to help her down from the bed.

"Come on, let's give your mummy and daddy some privacy, and get you to bed," she said. For once Leah didn't argue, only stopping to hug her mum.

"It's not your fault," Sarah told Rose quietly, seriously. "Remember that."

Rose didn't reply to that, just dropping to hug her daughter in return, kissing her.

"Love you," she told the girl.

"I love you too, mummy," Leah responded, before she and Sarah left together.

Rose looked up at the Doctor again, taking a deep breath before moving forward to sit in the chair Sarah had vacated next to him.

She took his hand, feeling it in her fingers.

"Hey," she whispered to him. "I'm so, _so _sorry. Oh god, I don't know what I was doin', I just exploded. And it nearly killed you. I'm sorry, please, _please _forgive me. I didn't mean it, I know you care, I know you were just doin' what you could protect them. It's not your fault. I'm sorry. And I'm sorry I've been so distant. I'm just a mess. We both are. But I know what I need to do and you're gonna hate me. Or think I'm mad at you. I'm not mad at you - God, how could I ever be mad at you? - this is just what I have to do and please just... get it. Get what I'm sayin'. Trust me, like I trust you. I'm not abandonin' you I swear, I'm just doin' the right thing. So don't be sad, or angry, or pull that face like you're about to blow up a planet, just let it happen. Cos I love you and I don't think I say it enough. I really love you. Please know that. I'm sorry I'm doin' this to you. But it's gotta be done. Else they'll kill him."

She paused, just staring at his impassive face for a few moments as she continued to run her fingers down his hand.

"That's kinda it. Better do it, I guess. God, I'm scared. Got pretty used to relyin' on you, I guess. I'll just do what you'd do. But I reckon I know your head better than you do now. Except all the rants you do. I can't do those."

She paused again, swallowed, and closed her eyes as she started again.

"Actually there is somethin' else. I wouldn't say if you were awake... But... Look, I'm not an idiot. I know you don't sleep. I figured out why ages ago. Just feel okay to talk to me about it, yeah? I'll listen. We've been through too much. If Volag-Noc hurt you that bad in your head then please lemme help. Don't be ashamed. Leah had PTSD for so long, but we got through it, didn't we? So we can get you through it too. Cos you're not impervious. Actually, you got it dead on at our weddin'. You always try to be this rock, lettin' everything wash over your head, but I know it doesn't really. You hurt, just like everyone else. I know it hurts really bad right now but I'll make it better, I swear. Don't be scared. I'm not gonna judge you. You've cried so much into me and I've cried so much into you it's impossible for me to. So just tell me, okay? That's what makes us great together. We share our pain, and please just... Feel okay to share yours with me. I hate seein' you like this."

He remained very still. For another couple of seconds she just gazed at him, before leaning forward to kiss his unresponsive lips.

"Really goin' this time. Can't put it off anymore. I'll call you. I'm sorry again. I really am. I messed up so bad. Please be okay. Love you."

And with that, she walked out of the infirmary, into their bedroom, picked up the backpack she'd prepared, slung it over her shoulder and stepped out into the corridor. She met no one as she walked down to the console room, straight to the monitor.

She brought up the biorhythms, and clicked on Passenger #2.

**Rose Tyler (registered passenger #2) biorhythms checklist**

**Species: Human**

**Heart rate: (1) OK | Blood pressure: OK | Blood sugar: OK | Breathing: OK | Central Nervous System: OK | Body Temp.: OK | Electrocerebral activity: Good**

**Infections: None**

**Foreign substances: General sustenance**

**Warnings: Pregnancy positive less than 4 weeks**

**Location: Console Room, TARDIS Type 40, on Sol 3, 51.4630° N, 3.1640° W**

**-END-**

**Further information? Y/N**

Rose's heart missed a beat.

**Warnings: Pregnancy positive less than 4 weeks**

"Oh God," she whispered under her breath, her head snapping down to her belly. she rested a hand just below her naval, her face etched with a combination of horror, fear and confusion.

She looked back at the monitor, and went for further information.

**Warnings: Pregnancy positive less than 4 weeks**

**Genetic father: Theta Sigma (registered passenger #1)**

**Chromosome: XY**

**Status: Healthy**

**Further information unavailable - mediscan recommended**

**Back? Y/N**

"No, no, no," she muttered, hitting back twice to get back to the passenger list. She clicked on herself, and hit delete.

With nothing but a low buzz, her entry vanished. She did the same to Alex's. Almost immediately the TARDIS made a squeaking noise, as if she was whining.

She rested a hand on the console. It was strange how normal it felt now to talk to the time machine. "We're gonna be fine," she said aloud. "Me and the baby. You just take good care of him, yeah? I can't stay here. Everyone'll be in danger. And don't you dare tell him I'm pregnant. You know what he's like - he'll freak out. He's got enough to think about as it is."

The TARDIS made a noise not unlike a defeated sigh.

"Thanks," Rose told her, and let go of the console. She then picked up her bag, slung it over her shoulders, checking the coast was clear before moving to the lift. She then broke the ground above to find the hordes of press were still there in vans, and lots of people in tents who were out for her husband's alien blood. She pulled up her hood and quickly and quietly made her way towards the train station.

* * *

**A/N:** _**Next time...**_

_"She's gone to get him!" the Doctor realised, disconnecting himself from the machines and hauling himself out of the bed. Martha tried to stop him but he quickly pulled away, grabbing his shirt and pulling it on._

_"No, Thete!" Brax said quickly, moving to rest a hand on his arm._

_"You have no right to talk to me!" the Doctor yelled back, shoving his brother with his arm before resuming doing up his shirt, his head down and eyes closed, breathing rapidly._

_"I'm sorry, calm down, I was trying to help…"_

_"Don't you dare tell me to calm down!" the Doctor spat, visibly trembling but managing to hold himself together._

_"I was just…"_

_"Just what, Brax!?" the Doctor spat._

_Brax stopped, his jaw opening and closing like a fish. He didn't have an answer for his brother._


End file.
